


The Danish Delight

by MadsMikkelsen



Category: Casino Royale (2006), Hannibal (2001), Hannibal Lecter Tetralogy - Thomas Harris, Hannibal Rising (2007), Mads Mikkelsen - Fandom, NBC Hannibal, the danish delight
Genre: F/M, Mads Mikkelsen - Freeform, The Danish Delight - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-11-22
Updated: 2013-11-22
Packaged: 2018-02-06 00:22:59
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 41,192
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1837573
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MadsMikkelsen/pseuds/MadsMikkelsen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Elise Desmond is a bright, young film student who is only credits away from graduating from USC. Upon a class assignment, she works on set at Universal Studios, Hollywood and plans to find the inspiration to create the film of her dreams. Yet, all things in her life, and the future of her career, take a drastic turn once she meets HIM... Mads Mikkelsen. Journey with Elise as she oversteps the fine line between friendship and relations that are far-more intimate.  </p>
<p>An excerpt from "The Danish Delight":   Mads put his hand on my cheek and smoothly ran his thumb back and forth under my cheekbone, fascinated with its structure.  "You must think me insane, but I have truly never seen such a breathtakingly captivating young- woman such as yourself. So angelic. So delicate. So radiantly refined." He began to run his fingers through the loose strands of my hair and tuck them behind my ears, one-by-one.  "I cannot even begin to describe how much I would like to taste your innocent lips." He put his face near centimeters away from mine; I could feel the heat of his quick breaths brushing across my bright red cheeks. Take me. Take me now.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Danish Delight

 "The Danish Delight" 

 

Prologue:

I was twenty years of age at the time and hadn't the slightest clue what I was getting myself into. I was upon finishing my last semester at USC as a film major and things (academically) had gone quite well up until that point. I had been among the youngest of my class considering I had graduated as valedictorian from high school along with an Associate’s Degree by the age of 18. This advantage, therefore, not only earned me a full scholarship, but enough credits to bump myself up from a freshman status to a far higher one.

Now, I understand what you are thinking; 'Why would a young woman, with such high academic regards, waste a scholarship as a FILM MAJOR?'. The answer is simple, it is my passion. From birth until the end of my years, I have and will devote myself fully to the art of film. I am the woman who would rather do what I love and make but only pennies a week, than seek a career that I hate to make billions.

Of my last courses was a Creative Film/Acting class, in which we would both act and write small pieces every so often. Our Final was a project that would count for half of our grade (as finals usually do). Before the end of the semester, we needed to present a personal short-film (written and produced by ourselves) with a "message". Other than the fact that we had to create the film personally, there were no other rules. This, of course, excited me and gave me the freedom to produce nearly anything I had wanted to on the subject of MY choosing.

This as it were, a sudden spin of events would not only affect my last semester at USC, but life as I knew it entirely.

All rights Reserved ®  
   
Chapter 1: "The Exact Moment"  
I entered class that morning only to see a look of utter excitement among the face of Mike Claymont. Mike was our instructor for the Creative Film/Acting course; we dared not call him Mr. Claymont, nor even think of addressing him as "Professor". He hated such accusations of superior authority and insisted on being "Just Mike".  
Mike was a very freelanced man who cared much about the environment and the everlasting movement for World Peace. He was often nicknamed "Micky the Hippie" behind his back.  
As the the hour came for class to begin, Mike had made the entire class tremble when he shrieked the news. "We have been given the opportunity to work ON SET at Universal Studios for the remainder of the semester!!"  
Looks of confusion stirred the classroom.  
"I was forced to pull a few strings and kiss a few asses, but nevertheless earned FULL ACCESS of equipment and all! Depending upon what other courses you are taking, you will be privileged to student housing near the site. This will allow you to use the most of your resources and produce a damn good film before the semester's end."  
I couldn't comprehend such amounts of glorious news so instantaneously. I couldn't have possibly be given a chance to finally film on big-time movie sets! Goosebumps traveled up my arms with the thought.  
On the account that my other courses required little of my attendance, it had been decided; I would continue most of my semester on set, in Hollywood, and create my masterpiece.

-(ONE WEEK LATER)-

I had just gotten settled in my new student apartment and was overly ecstatic for my first day on set that morning. Mike took me, and the other few students who could make it, on a tour of the entire area and showed us our limits of where and when we could shoot. After a few hours of explaining careful and explicit rules, he let us off to further explore and use our new resources.  
As much as I had wanted to grab props and equipment and just have at it, I couldn't. I still had no written material, no actors, and not the slightest idea of what my "message" was going to be.  
I stood on the blank set, upon which Mike had left us, for nearly an hour in amazement that I STILL had no inspiration.

Perhaps fresh-air will do me good in this situation.  
I left the set and began to roam outdoors within the area for something... ANYTHING... that would cause a spark. Enough roaming lead to a small park (used by many for various scenes) which contained a bench upon which I could rest and continue to ponder.  
There I sat in deep thought until the most vividly awful noise rang between my ears. It was truly unlike any noise I had ever heard before, yet it bothered me immensely. I had to discover the source of the noise and stop it before I went insane!  
To my disgust, I was lead to a set where a small man was welding together some foreign object; and doing so, with the APPARENT PURPOSE of creating such an absurd sound.  
He yelled to himself as he continued, "This should drive Robinson absolutely bonkers!"  
I quickly ran up to him and began to shout over the noise, "What on Earth are you doing?!? That noise is unbearable!! Knock it off!" I didn't care whether or not it was my place to yell such rude orders to someone who was at work in the studio; my sensitive ears were in agonizing pain.  
The man immediately stopped and gave me a blank stare for nearly a full minute. His face became apparent with confusion and shock that I had spoken to him with such demand and anger.  
"I... I am sorry ma’am. I was not aware that anyone else was near except for Robinson and my crew. You know, it being a Sunday and all, very few people are around."  
Shit... I sounded like a bitch.  
His explanation made me feel terrible about the way I had acted. Moreover, I felt obligated to apologize for my profound behavior. "No, please, I should not have been so insanely rude. Please, it is me who should be apologizing."  
He raised his eyebrow and then giggled a bit as he spoke, "That as it may be, I am the freak who was welding random shit on set with the apparent intention to create such horrid noises. It was meant as a joke to annoy my director, Robinson, as he, too, has a sensitive sense of hearing. I see now that the joke did not play out too well."  
I was entirely perplexed at how he could find such a joke to be amusing to anyone. I was not anything if not COMPLETELY freaked out by this man.  
Could he have some sort of brain disorder? Who the hell welds in a studio?!  
Every bit of me wanted to bid him adieu and get as far away from that set as humanly possible.  
"Well..." I began. "I think that I should leave you to your work. It was nice meeting y-"

"WAIT!" he interrupted me. "Before you go, would you do me a favor?"  
Fucking hell...  
Why this man wanted a favor from a stranger, who he hardly knew, still boggles every bit of my imagination. Yet, my feelings of obligation remained to help him since I had behaved so profusely.  
"Sure. What's the favor?"  
"Excellent! There is a man in the room next door who has some equipment of mine. Could you go on over and ask him to bring it to me?"  
Was he too lazy to go and do it himself?  
"No problem." I forced a smile and walked off, hoping that that would be my last encounter with the deranged man.  
I made my way next door only to find that the door was locked. So I knocked once....twice... three separate times with no sign of an answer.  
"UGGHHH." I breathed heavily, about to walk off, until a certain someone finally answered the door.  
HERE was the exact moment that everything changed in my life. HERE was where a simple favor and odd occurrence of events made all the difference in the world. For among my very eyes, was the most beautiful man I had ever seen. I could describe every inch of him from just that first glance. His eyes were a dark hazel green, much like my own. His alpine cheekbones were perfectly symmetrical. His jaw was strong and well structured. His arms were muscular, but not to an excessively noticeable point. Everything about him dazzled with Godly perfection and his lips... oh those lips... they were soft and more delicate than porcelain itself; and they moved ever so graciously as he spoke to me a friendly "Hello."  
Chapter 2: "Ears of a Bat"  
Of course I knew who he was, how could I not? He was a very well-known actor, but I chose to play the simple-minded role I knew so well. I tried my best to stay calm, but my heart was racing a million times faster and my words came out somewhat stumbled.  
"Oh! Um, h-hello. There was a... uh... a man next door who asked me to come over here and tell you that he needed his equipment. My ..uh.. My apologies for knocking so many times."  
God, I'm such an idiot.  
He smirked and came a tad closer to me as he spoke, "No worries, all is well. I was trying to gather the equipment as you had knocked; Otherwise, I would have answered sooner."

"Oh no! It's alright! It's 100% fine." The loud words raced out of my nervous mouth. I could not help but stare into his eyes as we spoke; it took every ounce of strength within me not to linger within them for too long.  
He looked back into the room and shook his head. "There is too much equipment in here for one man to take at once."  
"I could help you, if you'd like." Another set of words spilled out of my mouth without a second to spare. I was now desperately searching for an excuse to stay.  
What the hell am I doing? Lord, I'm probably bugging the shit out of him.  
He gave me a concerned look. "Some of the equipment is quite heavy... Are you certain that you can handle it? I wouldn't want you to get hurt in any way."  
YOU wouldn't want ME to get hurt?  
I tried my best not to blush. "I'm quite strong, really. It should be no problem."  
He shrugged his broad shoulders and smiled. "Alright then. If you have any problems, do not hesitate to ask for help."  
He lead me into the room and began to divide the equipment, giving to me the lightest bunch.  
"I never caught your name." he added as he continued to organize things.  
"Oh, I'm so sorry. Uh, Elise. Elise is my name."  
How could I have not given him my name?!  
"You needn't apologize so much, especially when you have a name as beautiful as Elise."  
I'd never really viewed my name as anything of true importance until then.  
My cheeks blushed bright red as I looked off to the side.  
"Thank you." I murmured softly.  
"Do you know who I am?" he asked, although he already knew the answer.  
"Yes, Mads Mikkelsen."  
"And you have seen my work, yes?"  
"Of course, you are very talen-"  
I was suddenly interrupted when the crazy welding man, who I had met just moments ago, came barging in through the door.

"Jesus Christ! Did you have to import the equipment from China? What's the holdup?!" He, then, stopped and turned to me, as if wondering why I was still there.  
"I'd thought that you would have already been on your way by now." he said more as a question rather than a statement.  
Mads answered before I could get the chance. "She was just about to help me take the equipment next door. As you can see, there is quite a bit of it."  
"Oh, excellent! So glad that you could stick around ....um... uh...." He shook his head, "I'm sorry, with all of my nonsense, I don't believe that we were properly introduced. You are?"  
"Elise." Mads answered again.  
"Jesus Mads, the girl has a mouth of her own."  
I giggled a bit, "It's quite alright. Yes, I'm Elise."  
"A pleasure to now, formally, meet you Elise. I am Arnie Gordon; Producer and writer by day, ladies man by night." He shot me a flirtatious wink.  
It took much of my self-control not to burst out into an insane cackle of laughter.  
This guy is too much.  
"Lovely to formally meet you, Arnie." I said with a smile as I shook his hand.  
Arnie looked over at the now organized piles of equipment, "Well, you might as well take it on over then."  
With some assistance from Mads, I managed to get my pile of equipment next door, as he did his own. Arnie's welding equipment had disappeared and he was beginning to set up cameras and microphones among other sound/movement equipment.  
Mads approached me out of Arnie's earshot, "He's not quite as crazy as he seems. I guess you could say that he is what you would call 'socially awkward'."  
I looked up at him and sighed with relief, "I thought that I was the only one who noticed it."  
I was beginning to feel a bit more relaxed around Mads and felt a subtle joy talking with him, even if the subject was Arnie's awkwardness.  
"So, do you work somewhere else within the studio?" he cleverly changed the subject to myself.  
I didn't want to admit to him that I was a film student who was only on studio grounds to make a student film for a college final, but I had to tell him the truth as to why I was there.  
"Not exactly," I breathed out. "I'm a film student, spending the rest of my semester here so that I can make a well-worthy film for my final."  
"Wow, that's wonderful! What type of film will you be making?"  
Great, now he wants to know about my film and I haven't a clue what kind of film I am going to make, nor have I decided what it will be about.  
"I haven't quite come to that conclusion yet."  
"Oh, I'm sure that it will come to you soon." He put his hand on my shoulder and struck me with an intensified smolder.  
I straightened my posture as I tried not to shiver from his exhilarating embrace, "Yes, let's hope so."  
Wanting ever-so-much to change the subject from myself to him, I asked, "So, what are you doing here on a Sunday afternoon?"  
He took his hand off of my shoulder and snuck it into his pocket.  
"Just spending the day setting up. I'm actually helping Arnie produce his latest film. As socially strange as he may be, he's produced and written many fine works in the past. I would like to be a part of his newest masterpiece."  
As if on cue, Arnie had finished setting up his equipment and came running toward us.  
"Everything is set! We can immediately start shooting tomorrow." He turned to me, "Oh! And Elise, thank you so much for all of your help."  
"No problem." I replied with a shy smirk.  
"You know Elise, seeing as you will be around for the remainder of the season, you should help us shoot." Arnie added.  
Wait...  
"How did you know that I wa-"  
"EARS OF A BAT. I heard your entire conversation, but don't worry... I am aware of my awkwardness towards others. Anyway, will you do it?"  
God only knew why, with such an accurate sense of hearing, Arnie hadn't a problem with his welding maneuver earlier. But, that aside, he did have a valid point. I was going to be around for the rest of the semester, not to mention the fact that Mads was going to be there as well.  
"Sure, I'd love t-"  
"Excellent! We start at 9am tomorrow. Ta-ta!" He walked out the door without a second glance.  
Mads looked to me once more, "So, I will be seeing you tomorrow then?"  
"Seems that way." I gave an awkward half-smile.  
He picked up my hand and held it for a long moment. "I look forward to it. Until then, Elise?"  
My.... God.....  
"Yes. Until then."  
Chapter 3: "An Aston Martin Man"  
I couldn't sleep at all that night. Thoughts of Mads and the events of that day had raced in multiple circles within my mind. I replayed the entire situation out at least a million times. I thought of things that I should have said, but didn't say and things that I did say, but shouldn't have said. I was hopelessly head-over-heels for this man and had no control of my feelings when I was around him. With this in mind, I was just as equally excited as I was terrified to work with him on set the next morning. But no matter my feelings, I had to learn how to keep myself stable and act as casual as I possibly could when on set.  
As the sun rose, I wanted to spend every free moment that I had making myself look PERFECT. My appearance was like a chemical formula, everything had to be correctly balanced. I had to be sexy and tempting, yet sophisticated and ready for work. And I MOST CERTAINLY could not look like I was trying too hard. Otherwise, he would catch on. I put on my cutest pair of jeans, a form-fitting blouse, and high-heeled leather boots. I kept my hair down naturally; luckily, it curls rather nicely on its own.  
With a few touches of lip gloss and foundation here and there, I eventually left the apartment and made my way to Universal. Once there, I scurried off to the set where Arnie and Mads were the day before as I became lost within an enormous swarm of people. Arnie's cast and crew ended up being much larger than I had imagined.  
Arnie popped-up out from the crowd of people, "Elise! Elise! I'm so glad that you are here. Come on over, I want you to meet someone."  
I pushed my way through the crowd and over to Arnie. He was standing next to a very tall, rather scrawny man; it was as if the man and Arnie were complete polar opposites in appearance.  
"This is Samuel Robinson. Remember? The one I was telling you about? The director?"  
Yes, the cause of our entire encounter. The man who you were trying to 'play a joke' on. How could I have forgotten?  
"Yes, it's a pleasure to meet you Mr. Robinson." I reached out and shook his hand.  
His voice was strangely deep. "Wonderful to meet you ... uh... Elise, is it?"  
"Yes."  
"Ah, yes. A great pleasure, Elise. But please! Call me Sam."  
Arnie interrupted, as I could tell he did so famously, "I'm the only one who refers to him as Robinson. Mostly, because it irks him."  
"How sweet of you, Arnie." I smirked sarcastically.  
"Yes, how sweet." Sam rolled his eyes. "See? This is the exact same behavior that resulted in my leaving early yesterday. Arnie, we need less joking around and more collaborative working."  
"Eh... you're just stuck up is all." Arnie joked once more.  
I could see the anger in Sam's eyes trying ever so hard to stay relaxed. Wanting to stay out of the crossfire that was about to erupt, I slowly began to take steps back.....  
One step........ two steps..... thr-.. wait. There's someone behind me.  
They tapped my shoulder and I turned around to face them.  
"Hello Elise." Mads stood directly in front of me with the sweetest, slightest grin. I stood there in complete silence, but managed to return an inkling of a smile.  
He put his mouth to my ear, gliding his cheek against mine. "Come with me." he whispered.  
Mads took my hand and I followed him outside.... all the way out to the parking lot.  
"Where are we going?"  
"Breakfast." he answered subtly.  
"Breakfast? But what about the film... and Arnie and Sam?"  
"Please, you wanted to be away from that boiling argument just as much as I."  
"Well yes, but don't we have to be there?"  
"Not if we are getting breakfast." he grinned.  
I was in awe once we had finally reached his car.  
A car just as beautiful as the man who owned it.  
An ASTON MARTIN... chrome colored.  
He opened the door for me and I carefully got in; yet, I could not even fathom the insane surreality. Not only was I in what was among the most expensive cars in the world, but I was in it with Mads Mikkelsen.  
"Wait a minute," I said as he started the engine. "How did you know that I didn't have breakfast?"  
"I didn't. But, I needed an excuse." he shrugged and we drove off.  
Chapter 4: "Jack's Pancake House"  
After about a 20 minute drive, we eventually reached a small diner. We pulled over and Mads put the car in park.  
"So, do you think that it's worth it?" he turned and asked bluntly.  
"Do I think that what is worth it?" I was completely oblivious to what he was asking.  
"The diner, darling." he squinted and looked closely at the diner's sign as if he had never seen it before. "Jack's Pancake House. You do like pancakes, don't you?"  
"Of course I do."  
"Well then, let's give it a try!"  
We walked into the nearly empty restaurant and an elderly woman, seemingly much too old to work, showed us to our table. She began to hand us menus, but Mads stopped her before she could get the chance to finish.  
"That's quite alright, dear. We've already decided on what we would like."  
We did?  
"We'll each have a stack of pancakes with eggs and bacon. Along with two coffees, one for myself and one for the beautiful lady."  
Once the word "beautiful" had ran out of his perfect mouth, I began to melt. I looked away and covered my mouth to hide the immense smile that had struck my face. The sweet elderly woman nodded and walked off.  
Wait. Wait a moment. He ordered bacon. He ordered bacon and I've been a vegetarian for the past five years.  
I needed to say something. If not then, he'd look at me strangely once I had finished eating and the bacon was left untouched.  
Shit. I can't hurt his feelings.  
"Um... Mads. I appreciate the effort, but I'm sort of a ... a.... vegetarian. So, I won't be able to eat the bacon." I wished that I could've found a way to put it more softly. Hell, I wished that I didn't have to say it at all.  
His face turned bright red and his voice carried a deep sincerity. "I... I am so sorry. I should have asked beforehand instead of assuming and trying to be spontaneous."  
Oh wow. I have really hit the jackpot on this one. I'm such an ass.  
"Oh no, please don't be. I love spontaneity! You couldn't have known that I was a vegetarian."  
Mads pursed his lips and chuckled a bit. "Well, now we know that I will need to become accustomed to eating two servings of bacon in the future."  
What could he have meant by "the future"? "The future" as in, a few minutes from now? Or "the future" as in, we will be having breakfast together more often? Everything that he said was so perfect, yet I would end up confused when it came to what he truly meant.  
Soon enough, our food was delivered to us and looking more delicious than ever. I was starving, but I could not stuff my face with Mads sitting right across from me.  
Mads looked down at the food, and then to me. "Promise me something." He paused for a couple of seconds while I nodded. "Promise me that you will not eat like a bird and make me look like I am stuffing my face?"  
DEAR LORD! CAN HE READ MY MIND!?!  
I nodded once again, "I promise."  
As we ate, Mads continuously asked me questions about myself. It was almost as if he had wanted to take the attention away from his life and place it entirely onto mine. I talked briefly about my family and my plans for the future as he listened attentively. No one had ever been as interested in my life as he was in that moment.  
Once we had gotten into the car to leave, we realized that we had been gone for hours. Apparently, time flies when you are in good company.  
"Goodness! 2pm? We truly have lost track of time." Mads looked below at his watch in shock.  
"Yet, not a single moment wasted." he continued on with a cunning grin.  
Holding back my body's desire to blush, I could only imagine how irate Arnie would be once we'd returned.  
"Perhaps we should get going then? Arnie will be upset."  
"Most likely, yes. But if the day is shot already, we might as well make the most of it."  
"Make the most of it?"  
Here comes another one of his infamous smolders...  
"Do you trust me, Elise?"  
I would trust you with every fiber of my being.  
"Yes."  
He revved the engine. "Good. Now hold on."  
The car bolted while the adrenaline in my body reached its maximum. Where could we be going? What did he know that I didn't? Why did I feel so weak around him? I didn't know what was going on or why it was happening to me of all people, but I did know one thing for certain... I liked it.  
Chapter 5: "No Peeking"  
"Why won't you tell me where we are headed?"  
"If I did, it would ruin the surprise."  
We had been driving for nearly an hour and Mads just wouldn't budge. His entire persona bewildered me. I wanted to know where he was taking me, yet, at the same time, I wanted the excitement of, for once in my life, not knowing what was going to happen next.  
I've always wanted to embrace the joyous moment of being happily surprised. As a child, my mother could never surprise me. Although her efforts were greatly appreciated, I would always manage to figure out her scheme; as I would anyone else who had ever tried to surprise me in the past. But, Mads was different. I could not read Mads as I could so many others; he had no tell. Every word that he had ever spoken to me could have been one giant lie and I would have never guessed otherwise.  
"Alright Elise, from here on, I'm going to have to ask you to close your eyes. And you must not open them until I say to."  
"Seriously?" I asked sarcastically.  
"Yes Elise, seriously. You said that you trusted me, remember? I need you to keep to that trust and close your eyes. No peeking."  
"Ugh... Alright. They're closed."  
"Thank you."  
It is astonishing how strong your other four senses become once you can no longer use your sight to your advantage. As we drove, I could hear the constant roar of the Aston Martin and the silent breaths of excitement from Mads. I took even deeper breaths to enjoy the aroma of the vehicle's fresh leather interior mixed with Mads' mesmerizing aftershave. Meanwhile, my hands laid in my lap, aching to touch Mads', while I bit my lips to hide their devious temptation.  
"Worry not, my dear. We are nearly there."  
I enjoyed the vibrations that his reassuring lips gave the air.  
I felt my body beginning to slant backwards as the car elevated slowly until we eventually reached a complete stop.  
Where has he taken me?  
"We're here, but I need you to keep your eyes closed."  
He got out of the car, went around to my side, and opened up the door. He reached his entire body over mine and undid my seatbelt; the warmth drove my body insane. Then, he put his hand on my shoulder and slid his fingers down my entire arm. Once he had reached my hand, he brought his lips to my fingertips and kissed them gently.  
"Come." he whispered.  
Oh, I'm going to.  
He took my hands into his and escorted me outside. I could feel light gusts of wind breezing throughout the loose strands of my hair, and the soft embrace of the sun beaming its light onto my skin.  
Mads guided my steps for a few minutes until he told me not to walk any further.  
He moved behind me and murmured into my ear, "Now, Elise... open..."  
My eager eyes snapped open to a sight more mesmerizing than life itself. We were on a mountain, all alone, with the best view of the city. Although I had no words to describe my amazement, I managed to let out one or two.  
"Wow. Just...... Wow.." I stood there, blankly, in awe.  
"Beautiful isn't it?" he smiled.  
"Yes. So beautiful."  
He stood quietly for a few moments.  
"Yet, none of it compares to you, Elise."  
I could have sworn that my heart had stopped when he spoke to me those unimaginable words. I didn't want to believe it. It wasn't real. I HAD to be dreaming. Did I hear him correctly? Was this yet another figment of my abnormal imagination?  
We stared at one another blankly for a long time. Mads put his hand on my cheek and smoothly ran his thumb back and forth under my cheekbone, fascinated with its structure.  
"You must think me insane, but I have truly never seen such a breathtakingly captivating young- woman such as yourself. So angelic. So delicate. So radiantly refined."  
He began to run his fingers through the wind-blown strands of my hair and tucked them behind my ears, one-by-one.  
"I cannot even begin to describe how much I would like to taste your innocent lips."  
He put his face near centimeters away from mine; I could feel the heat of his quick breaths brushing across my bright red cheeks.  
Take me. Take me now.  
He pulled his face away and left his hands lingering under my jaw bone.  
He shook his head, "But, I can't."  
Chapter 6: "Can We Still Be Friends?"  
Mads walked off, seemingly conflicted about everything that he had just said to me, then sat by the edge of the mountain and stared off into the clear sky. I walked over, sat down next to him, and put my hand on top of his.  
"Of course you can." I said softly. "I have exactly the same feelings for you."  
"I know that you do. But, that is not why I can't."  
What? How did he figure out that I had feelings for him? Were my words and actions too obvious? But, more importantly, why can't he kiss me?  
He turned and faced me, "Us being together just wouldn't be feasible, Elise. My life is such an enormous mess. I am still in the midst of a nasty divorce, and the paparazzi would eat you alive. God only knows what those kinds of rumors would do to your career! I'd never want you to go through all of that. I can't bring you into my muddled chaos."  
I didn't know how to respond; he had a point. My reckless self would just cause his already-messy life more problems.  
"I'm sorry." I managed out.... I wasn't sure what more I could say.  
"Oh no, please don't be. I've gotten myself into all of this nonsense on my own. It should be me who is apologizing to you, for not explaining myself sooner."  
"Explaining yourself? Mads, we've only just met; I could never expect you to give me your life's story so instantly. Trust me, it's fine."  
I smiled in attempt to hide the pain of wanting to kiss him and to, hopefully, help erase the pain that he was causing himself.  
He smiled back with wishful eyes. "Can we still be friends, Elise?"  
Friends? Fuck.  
"Of course we can."  
Mads stood to his feet and helped me stand onto mine. He wrapped his strong arms around my waist and hugged me for a long time.  
"Thank you." he moved his hands across my lower back as he hesitantly released me.  
"Now..." he continued. "I want you to look out into the distance and tell me what you see."  
"The city?"  
"No... No. Everyone can see that. What do you see?"  
I remained silent as I carefully glanced over it all again.  
What do I see?  
"I see people. People taking to their daily routines. People with a story. People with a purpose. So many unique, extraordinary people who have dreams and live through every moment trying to get just one step closer to a life of unconditional happiness."  
"Good, Elise. Now look at us. What do you see, now?"  
"Those same people." I laughed in realization of what he had had wanted me to understand.  
"Exactly!" he exclaimed as he gave a sly wink. "Keep that in the back of your mind whenever you feel stuck; whether it be with an idea for a film, or life itself. Humans are mysterious creatures, and we all differ from one another. Yet, we all seem to share the same overall desire for betterment of ourselves and those who surround us."  
We stayed, continuing to talk over our lives, until the sun had finally set. Once the darkness breached, Mads decided to drive me back to my apartment.  
"Do you usually walk to-and-from the studio?" Mads asked as I prepared to get out.  
"Well yes, it's just down the street and I don't really have permission to park where the other workers do."  
"Down the street? It's at least 3 miles away from here."  
"I don't mind it."  
"Would you mind if I drove you from now on? While I love Hollywood, there is still quite a bit of shit out there. I'd feel better knowing that you were with me, rather than walking the streets alone."  
His sincere worry for me gave me butterflies.  
"Sure, I don't mind." I answered as I left the car.  
"Thank you. I'll be here at 7:30 tomorrow morning to pick you up; we can have breakfast. Goodnight Elise." He put the car in drive and waved.  
"Goodnight Mads." I waved back before slowly entering the apartment building.  
Chapter 7: "His Place"  
So much had happened in such a short period of time. Nearly a week had gone by since Mads had expressed his feelings for me; and as did I for him. That day had consistently replayed within my mind and I could no longer look him in the eyes without those lustful intentions screaming in the back of my head.  
I had wanted to kiss him. I had wanted to kiss him until my lips were chapped and I could no longer breathe. Our conversations since that day had become strictly professional. Everyday throughout the week had the same routine; Mads would pick me up in the morning, we would grab a short bite to eat, go and work with Arnie at the studio, and then Mads would drive me back to my apartment. It was almost like we both felt the need to avoid the subject of what had happened between us entirely. In which case, Mads had seemed like a completely different person than the man who I had first met.  
Just as all had appeared to be lost between us, Mads called me around 9 o'clock on Saturday night of that week.  
"Hello?" I answered, not knowing at first who had called.  
"Elise?" Mads' voice asked in a worried tone.  
"Mads? How did you get my number?"  
Wow, that sounded extremely rude.  
"My assistant found it for me. I'm so sorry, is it a bad time?" he asked.  
Yep, I certainly came off as a bitch.  
"Oh no no no! I was just tidying things around my apartment. Please, is everything alright?"  
"Honestly, I don't feel that it is. Elise...." He paused for a moment and took a long, deep breath. "I feel like I need to speak with you personally. May I come by and pick you up? Is the hour too late for you?"  
"Of course you can, it's not too late at all." I answered as though it wasn't a big deal. Yet, my mind went crazy once more thinking about why Mads would want to speak with me, personally, on a Saturday night... especially after such an awkward week.  
"I'm so glad. I'm already out and driving, so I should be by within the next 15 to 20 minutes."  
"Great, I'll be waiting."  
I changed into more applicable clothing, I figured bunny slippers and polkadot pajama shorts weren't appropriate for the occasion, then went to wait outside. Mads drove up at about 9:19pm and quickly opened the passenger door for me from the inside. As I got in, he greeted me with a short "Hello." along with a forced smile, and then began to drive away hurriedly.  
After nearly 10 minutes of an awkward silence, I felt the need to break it.  
"So... Where are we going?"  
"To my place." he answered simply, eyes glossy on the road.  
HIS place!? Why are we going to HIS place!?  
"Oh." I returned his simplicity.  
Before long, we reached a gated facility FILLED with million dollar estates. As Mads drove through the gates, I wondered which beautiful home belonged to him and began to marvel at the originality of each one, wondering which famous people lived there.  
"Here we are." Mads drove into the driveway of his near 6,000 square-foot home.  
Compared to every other house, Mads' certainly was the most stunningly unique. The exterior was made almost entirely out of glass and it's shape was of a specific symmetrical perfection. As we got out of the car, I left my mouth wide-open in utter awe.  
"Come on, Elise." Mads snapped me out of my daze as I followed him inside.  
Chapter 8: "Rachel Ray"  
Stepping into Mads' home was like stepping into an entirely different universe. I examined every minuscule detail of his not-so-minuscule house. Everything surrounding me was orderly and put into place while the glassy walls enlightened the room with artistic gracefulness. As I walked further inside, I noticed a small rack near the front door where Mads kept his shoes; I imagine so that his flawless, pearly white floors would stay as such. To my left was a magnificent dining room meant for extravagant dinner parties and to my right was a living room (amounting to that of three normally-sized rooms) filled with thousands of books, luxurious seating, and yet, there was not a single television in sight. In the dead-center of the house was a polished, cherry-wood staircase that lead up to many other rooms which I yearned to become fond of.  
We set our shoes down on the rack, then made our way through the dining room and back into the kitchen. The kitchen wrapped around the back of the house and connected among the two other rooms. There was also an entry way, into the kitchen's main area, through two massive doors hidden behind the staircase. The countertops were made completely out of white marble and every appliance was veiled with top-of-the-art stainless steel. His kitchen was so spectacular that if Rachel Ray were to have popped out of his cupboards, I would not have been the least bit surprised.  
"Would you like something to drink?" Mads asked me while holding up both a white and red wine (each, obviously expensive).  
In a sudden instant, I remembered that I had never told Mads how old I actually was. Knowing that I was finishing my last semester at USC, he must have assumed that I was older than twenty-one. But, I was not about to have that conversation at such an inopportune time nor miss out on my chance to indulge in high-quality wine with Mads Mikkelsen.  
"Yes, the red wine please." I answered a tad too formally.  
Mads put the white wine back and grabbed two wine glasses from a vintage oak rack that was hanging above the island. He uncorked the bottle and poured a generous amount into each glass. Before handing me a glass, he gestured for me to follow him into the living area where we then sat together on a small suede couch. I began to drink while wondering why the lights had seemed much dimmer than they were when I first walked in.  
Mads took another large breath before speaking. "Thank you for coming to speak with me on such short notice. I just..... I have much fewer friends than you would be lead to believe and I didn't really know who else I could come to."  
"Mads, you can always come to me." I tried to sound reassuring and placed my hand onto his thigh. Yet, I'm sure that both my statement and actions came off to be much more seductive than intended.  
He took my hand off of his lap and held it. "I'm glad to have a friend like you, Elise. I am so sorry about this past week. I am sorry that I haven't been paying you the attention that you deserve. You will never be treated like that again, Elise, I can promise you that."  
We stared into each-other's eyes and shared deep, tender smiles. Knowing that Mads cared genuinely for me, made me feel important and loved... even if only as a friend.  
Those smiles soon died off as Mads released my hand and shook his head. "This divorce has been driving me into a state of insanity. My wife refuses to sign the divorce papers and insists on carrying everything out until she can walk away with all that I'm worth. It seems like she won't be satisfied until I have nothing more to give."  
I was at a loss for words. There was nothing that I could say or do that would put an end to all that he was going through. So, as I did so often in situations where I did not know what to say, I apologized.  
"I'm truly sorry. I.... I wish that there was something that I could do."  
He leaned toward me. "Your being here, with me tonight, means more to me than I could ever express."  
Then, Mads leaned in further, held my neck, and put his lips to my ear. "You mean more to me than I could ever express."  
Chapter 9: "Something Inside Me"  
Mads took the wine out from my hand and set both of our glasses down on top of a small table next to the couch. He snatched me and sat me down, legs apart, onto his lap.... his intense, masculine lap. He, then, tugged my entire body toward his; leaving our chests rubbing vigorously against one another with each quick breath.  
"Oh Elise..." He gasped heavily as he began to move his abrasive hands down from the back of my waist to my ass. "I want to have you so badly."  
I felt his pelvis straining in agony, wanting desperately to be satisfied, as he grabbed the back of my head and pushed it into his. Our lips lingered closely, nearly touching, as he breathed hot air into my mouth.  
"Oh Mads." I whimpered back, wanting him to stop torturing me with his captivating body.  
He began to run his hands between my inner thighs..... getting closer.... and closer..... until.. He stopped.  
With a sudden jolt, he moved his hands back and took me off of his lap. I laid there, confused, while he buried his face into his hands and shook his head.  
"I am... I am so sorry." He stood up and walked back toward the kitchen.  
What just happened?  
I got up and followed him into the kitchen to confront him. He was leaning over the island whispering something to himself in Danish.  
"Mads?" I got his attention. "I'm so beyond confused about what is going on between us."  
He stood up straight, walked over to me, then took me in his arms and held me tightly.  
"My beautiful Elise, you deserve so much more respect than I treat you with. I'm so sorry that I continue to lead you on, I'm just... I'm going through a very confusing time right now and this is certainly not how you treat your friends. I find it to be exceedingly difficult sometimes when I'm with you... I feel like I have no control...... like I can't help myself."  
Well Jesus, Mads, how do you think that I feel when I'm around you?  
I nudged his arms away so I could face him. "I appreciate that, but I need things to be steady between us. I can't be in a constant state of confusion jumping from place-to-place like this."  
"I'll try to be better, I promise. Please forgive me, Elise. I can't lose you right now."  
"You're never going to lose me." This time, I wrapped my arms around him. "We'll get through this together."  
He stroked my upper back, careful not to slip down any lower. "Thank you."  
With his warm cheek next to mine, I felt him biting his lips, struggling to remain in control. And while I admired his efforts, something inside me wanted him to lose control. Something inside me wanted his lips to be forever glued onto mine. Something inside me wished that he hadn't stopped when I was sitting on his lap, ready to give myself to him. Something inside me took pleasure in the fact that he couldn't help himself around me. Something inside me began to imagine devious situations that would cause him to covet me even more. Something inside me wanted to make him suffer until the point of breaking. This something inside me was corrupt and wicked, and this something inside me desperately yearned to be satisfied. Yet the thing that scared me most, was the knowledge that this something inside me could not be tamed.... because this something would inevitably manipulate my actions and leave me powerless.  
Chapter 10: "Sleepover"  
"It's getting really late. Do you have plans set for tomorrow?" Mads asked as we both released our grasps.  
"Not as of this moment."  
Why does he want to know about my plans?  
"Excellent. I'd like to take you somewhere, to make up for my actions from this evening. Would you be willing to spend the night? I have a guest bedroom upstairs."  
Oh God, he asked me to spend the night. There’s no way that I am going to pass that offer up.  
"Well yes, but I didn't bring anything with me."  
"Do not worry, I'll take care of everything." He took my hand, "Come. Follow me."  
Mads lead me upstairs and toward the guest room which was, ironically, right across from the master bedroom. His doors were completely shut and looked as though they usually remained as such. Oh, how I desired to be invited into that room with him... and oh, how I desperately wanted to know what was lying behind those doors. I wondered if his room glistened with traces of him. If the air was sweetened with his enchanting aroma. If the decor described his personality. If his favorite book was left open on his nightstand.  
I thought about the types of clothes that his closet held and about the feel of their glorious texture, draped over his glowing skin. I thought about his bed; I imagined myself in it. How it would feel to be wrapped in his sheets as he held me all night long. How it would feel to be kissed passionately for hours among hours as we would eventually become lost within each other's eyes. How it would feel to make breathtaking love, my head at rest on his pillow, with his searing body rapidly thrusting into mine. How it would feel to touch hi-  
"Elise?... Elise, are you alright?" Mads waved his hand in front of my face, taking my focus away from his room and snapping me out of my perplexed trance.  
"Yes! Yes... I'm alright. Sorry... I was just... Uh... I was just thinking." I was rapidly trying to transition from fantasy back into reality.  
"What about?" He raised his eyebrow.  
"Ummm... I was thinking about... where you are taking me tomorrow. You never told me where we are going."  
Nice save, Elise.  
"Can't say. You'll just have to wait until morning." he expressed a guileful smile and showed me into my room.  
The guest room was gloriously large and looked like something that could be found on the cover of Metropolitan Homes. Everything around me was exceedingly pristine to the point that I began to wonder if anyone had ever stepped foot inside.  
"I'll be right back with something for you to wear. Please, make yourself at home." Mads left me and ran off into his own room.  
I sat down on the seemingly untouched queen-sized bed, overly curious about what he would come back with. I pulled my cellphone out of my front-right pocket and saw that I had a new message from someone who I had not talked to in four months; someone very close to me.  
The message read:  
"Hello Elise. I realize that we haven't spoken in a long while and, honestly, that is my fault. But, our issues aside, I really need to talk to you. Things have gone on within these past few months and I need to explain myself. Please please PLEASE message me back when you get this." -Amber  
Amber had been my best friend since childhood and we had stayed as such for our entire lives... until the previous four months had rolled by, when she cut herself out from my life without explanation. Naturally, I was angry and wanted nothing to do with a "friend" who would throw away a lifetime of friendship without good reason, so I didn't make any attempts to communicate with her. But after receiving such a random text message, I knew that something serious was going on in her life and she needed me desperately.  
Right as I was about to reply, Mads walked in with a pair of clothes in his arms.  
"Here, I brought a t-shirt and some pajama pants for you to sleep in. I hope that you don't mind that they are mine. If the bottoms are too loose, you can tighten them to fit your waist." He placed the clothes down next me.  
"No, I don't mind at all. Thank you." I was overwhelmed with the fact that he gave me his clothes to wear for the night.  
"Great! Now, you should be getting to sleep soon. We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow."  
He lowered himself down on one knee so that our faces would be level.  
"May I?" he asked while running his fingers over my forehead.  
"Yes." I answered, not quite certain about what he was asking.  
He slowly brought his lips to my forehead, and kissed it gently.  
"Goodnight Elise." He stood up, "Dream sweetly."  
"Goodnight." I replied, trying not to smile, as I watched him leave the room.  
My forehead tingled with the soft embrace of his lips while I looked over to see the pile of clothes that Mads had left me.... his clothes. I quickly changed and savored the feel of its fabric against my skin. Then, I got into bed, bundled myself under all of the sheets, and rested my head near my chest so that I could enjoy Mads' scent as I slept.  
I took a deep breath and closed my eyes, thinking about what Mads was doing in the other room. 'Was he lying in bed thinking the same thoughts about me? Or could he have already fallen asleep without a single inkling of me in his mind?' I pondered these questions for a long while, wishing that he were by my side, until I eventually drifted off into a wonderfully deep sleep.  
Chapter 11: "It Plays With Your Tongue"  
"What's that smell?" I asked myself as I woke up and stretched out my arms.  
Throughout the entire house was a fantastic aroma of freshly cooked eggs and other baked goods. I got out of bed and followed the scent all the way downstairs, into the kitchen. Mads was preparing a plate for each of us with poached eggs and warm croissants.  
"Good morning Elise. Did you sleep well?" Mads asked while continuing to organize the food.  
"Yes, I did. Did you?"  
He froze, looked up, smiled, and then continued as if I hadn't asked a question at all.  
"Here. Follow me outside."  
He took both plates and lead me to his back yard. A massive, uniquely designed swimming pool took up three-quarters of the yard and a small concrete area, supposedly meant for friendly gatherings, took up the other quarter. To my left was a glass dining table where two place settings were set vertically from each other. A large pitcher of orange juice lied in the middle of the table, right next to a colorful bouquet of assorted flowers, creating an unsurpassable and heavenly elegance to our morning breakfast together.  
Mads placed the plates down onto their appropriate settings and pulled out my chair, gesturing for me to sit. I walked toward him and slowly sat down.  
"Have you ever eaten fresh croissants before?" He asked.  
"Of course I've had croissants before." I laughed back at him.  
"No no no... I mean fresh croissants. Made by hand and completely from scratch."  
"Wow... Um, no. No, I don't believe that I have."  
He smiled devilishly and my heart began to melt.  
"Once you bite into my croissant, you won't be able to help yourself."  
I bit my lips hard, thinking about just how comically intimate his statement was.  
"Oh really?" I laughed. "You do understand just how sexual that sounded, don't you?"  
"If my intentions were sexual, then I would have made Danishes for breakfast." he answered sarcastically as he now bit his lips.  
We both shared a long, simultaneous outburst of laughter, which seemed to break the ice between us after all that had happened the night before.  
"Alright. Now in all seriousness, take a bite and give me your verdict."  
I bit into the flakey croissant and, unexpectedly, bit into the most extraordinarily delicious pastry in the history of my lifetime.  
"Sweet Lord! This is culinary perfection!"  
"It plays with your tongue... like sex in your mouth."  
"That is exactly what it is like." I glared at him seductively and licked my fingers clean.  
I struggled to keep my hips still as my body grew excited.  
Why does he play with my mind like this? Doesn't he know that it makes me immorally covet every bit of him?! It makes me want to do things.... dirty things. I want to play with his tongue! I want him to taste me.... to touch me... to spank me hard.  
Once we had finished, he brought me into the living room and gave me strict orders to wait on the couch with my eyes closed. I heard his feet run up and down the stairs in mere minutes.  
"Alright, open your eyes."  
Mads sat down beside me and gave to me a large white box with a royal blue bow on the top.  
"What is it?" I asked.  
"Open it and find out."  
I opened the box and my face froze. Inside was an deep-maroon colored evening gown, illuminated with velvety lace and a plunging neckline.  
"I went with a color that would suit your delicate skin tone and compliment your cherry-auburn hair." He twirled his fingers between each of my hair strands.  
"Wha... H-How did you-"  
"Valentino's a good friend."  
My eyes grew three sizes and my jaw dropped past the floor.  
"Valentino!? You had Valentino personally design a dress for me?"  
"Yes." he said as if it were of no importance.  
I shook my head in disbelief. "Wait... No. Valentino could not have possibly made an original dress overnight."  
"Of course it wasn't made overnight. I called him Sunday and he had it delivered just yesterday."  
"Sunday!?! We had only just met. How did you know that I would even so much as BE HERE with you, now?"  
He scuffed, "Elise, I knew from the moment that you gave me an awkward 'hello' that we were going to become close to each other. And while I was not certain that you would be with me on the occasion in which you would need such a dress, I did so anyway in the hopes that you would."  
"But, how did you know my measurements?"  
"Darling, it only took mere seconds before my eyes knew every curve on your body. Trust me, it was no issue."  
He started to trace his hand up my thigh, but immediately pulled away once he had realized what he was doing.  
"So.." he continued. "We only have but a few hours before we need to leave for our big appearance and you have an appointment as of..." He looked down to his watch and jumped up. "Shit! You have an appointment as of now! We'll never make it there and back in time. I'm just going to have to ask Annabella to make a house-call."  
Big appearance? Appointment? Annabella? WHAT? WHEN? WHO? Ugghhhh!! Why is he always ten steps ahead of me?  
Chapter 12: "Annabella"  
*knock knock*  
"That must be Annabella!" Mads ran to the door.  
"Oh Annabella! Thank you so much for making a house call on such late notice. It truly means the world to me."  
A petite Asian woman stood at the door with a suitcase nearly the same size as herself.  
"Anything for you darling." she kissed his cheek.  
Who is this lady and what is she doing with her lips on my Mads?!  
"Now, where's our victim?" she maniacally glared into the distance.  
"Elise! Come and meet Annabella, she is going to be taking good care of you."  
I made my way from the staircase over to the woman and shook her hand.  
"Oh Mads, she is absolutely divine!" She released her grip and grabbed the ends of my hair. "Look at these sun kissed locks! Boy, won't I have a field day with them. And oh those cheeks!! So freshly exquisite." She exclaimed while pinching my face.  
Mads smiled, "Didn't I tell you that she was stunning? You two can get started whenever you'd like, but please don't overdo it with the makeup, Annabella. She's utter perfection without it."  
"Not a problem. Come darling, we haven't a moment to spare." Annabella yanked my arm and took me upstairs to the guest room.  
"Sit." She ordered, as she had successfully set up an entire vanity from the endless supplies in her suitcase.  
After two hours of having Annabella play with my hair and face, I changed into my Valentino dress without being given the chance to see myself in a mirror. She finished my look with some sheer laced heels and diamond ear studs.  
"You look absolutely heavenly, my dear." Annabella put her hand over her mouth. "I'm so proud! I truly deserve more recognition for my work."  
I put my hand on my chest. "Wait.. No necklace?"  
Wow Elise, could that have sounded any more incredibly rude?  
She whispered to me, "I was given strict instructions not to give you a necklace. Mads said that he has something special in mind." She took a few steps back and began to speak normally once again. "We mustn't make the poor man wait any longer; I'm sure that he's dying to see you. Let's go."  
Mads was waiting in the living room, back to me, dressed to the nines in a 3-piece suit. His hair was combed back and his cologne was much stronger than usual. He was completely irresistible.  
"Eh-hem!" Annabella fake coughed and instantly caught his attention as he turned around.  
Mads widened his eyes and stared me up and down. "Oh Elise, min smukke fortryllende engel!"  
He came to me and held me by my waist. "Breathtaking..." He shook his head and ran his hands up my shoulder blades. "You are the most beautiful creature that my eyes have ever been blessed enough to encounter. The intensity of your beauty and the bewitching force of your in-containable elegance are enough to drive a man truly mad. I can find no words to elucidate just how sensationally extravagant you are.... It's going to be very difficult to keep my hands off of you this evening."  
No man had ever spoken to me with such genuine sincerity. My heart was pounding rapidly; it took a prodigiously inhuman strength to keep me from ripping his clothes off and attacking his face with my own.  
Before I could say anything, Mads pulled out a velvety black box from his inner coat pocket.  
"I had wanted to wait until later to give this to you, but I don't think that I can wait a second more."  
Mads opened the box and a million diamonds glistened as he exposed a necklace that, I swear, was more overwhelmingly spectacular than any other necklace in existence.  
I gasped and put both hands over my freshly lipsticked mouth. Everything was so sudden and surreal, it felt like a never-ending dream.  
"May I?" He asked politely. Such a perfect gentleman.  
"Yes, you may." I turned, holding my softly curled hair above my neck.  
He glazed his hands around my collarbone and carefully clasped the dazzling necklace together.  
"You're just pure perfection, darling!" Annabella exclaimed from beside us.  
Mads added in awe, "She is far beyond that."  
I smiled, but remained silent, unable to find any words to say.  
"Well darlings, I must be on my way. Things to do, people to fancy up!" Annabella turned to me, "Don't break too many hearts! And do keep Mads under control."  
"Not likely." He said bluntly as he escorted her out the door.  
Chapter 13: "The Blindfold"  
"I know where you are taking me, I don't need this stupid blindfold." I lied, I just didn't want to wear the blindfold for any longer. It had been on ever since we'd left Mads' house.  
"Oh really? Well by all means, Elise... If you can figure out where we are going then I will take your blindfold off." Mads replied arrogantly.  
Come on Elise! Think...  
"Well, we are on a plane and I know that we are leaving the country."  
"Yes... You are right about that."  
"Umm... Are we going to France?"  
"No. Guess again." He laughed, finding pleasure in knowing what I didn't.  
"Shit. Uhh... England.. Ireland... Germany... Russia... Chi-"  
"Christ Elise! You can't go on naming every country."  
"You told me that if I guessed correctly, you would take my blindfold off."  
He breathed heavily, "Yes I did. You know, you make it very difficult to surprise you. You're too persistent about your awareness of everything. Alright then, keep guessing."  
I continued listing, "China... Spain... Ca- wait." I stopped myself. How could I have been so oblivious?  
"Denmark?"  
"Hmm... Certainly took you long enough." He got up and began to untie the tight knot holding the blindfold around my face.  
"So, why are we going to Denmark?" I asked.  
Geeze. He was right. I truly am overly persistent.  
He finished taking the blindfold off and brushed my hair back. "Nope. Denmark is the only clue that you get for now."  
"Fine." I huffed and carefully rubbed my eyes to clarify my surroundings. "Wow! Do you own this plane?"  
"Yes, but I usually refer to it as a jet, given its size." He grinned.  
A loud voice suddenly spoke throughout the entire area. "Mr. Mikkelsen, we've nearly arrived. I'd expect we'd only be but 10 minutes longer."  
Mads pressed a button next to a highly sophisticated speaker set on the side of his chair. "Excellent! We'll keep on time, then. Thank you Adams."  
The loud voice spoke again, "My pleasure, sir."  
"I'm assuming that Adams is your pilot?"  
"Ashton Adams. Best there is." Mads winked.  
I continued to pester Mads about what event we were to be attending that evening until we landed. I'm not sure why, but I felt somewhat uneasy going into a new country with complete strangers speaking a language that I could not understand. Yet, even with that uneasiness, I remained reassured that Mads would take care of me and make certain that I would not succeed in making too far a fool of myself.  
A man, presumably Ashton by the sound of his voice, and the stewardess both helped us off of the plane and into the back of a black Rolls Royce that was waiting patiently for our arrival.  
"Aren't you going to blindfold me again?" I asked, now missing its mysterious feel.  
"Why? You've never been to Denmark, have you?"  
"Well no."  
"Then there is no need for it." He held my hand. "We will be stopping at our hotel first anyhow."  
Hotel? The word shouldn't have surprised me as much as it did. I should have figured we'd need as much considering we were attending an evening event, but hearing the word "Hotel" sent shivers down my spine. Hotel can mean so many things... can lead to so many things... things definitely worth exploring. Yet, I was curious to know why he said "Hotel" instead of "Home".  
"Hotel? Don't you have a home in Copenhagen?" My blunt questions seemed to pour out of my mouth time and time again.  
Mads was quiet for a moment before answering; which made me regret my asking and wish that I were blindfolded once again, but with Duct tape over my mouth as well.  
"Yes, yes I do. But things have been more or less complicated with my housing situations lately. I'm sure you can understand why?"  
"Oh, of course I do. I'm so sorry, that must have sounded insanely inconsiderate."  
"No, not at all. I would have been concerned if you didn't want to know. Never apologize for being curious, Elise. Your intellect intrigues me and your curiosity continuously bewilders me." He stared deeply into my eyes and licked his lips.  
I adored how quickly he could change the mood of a conversation with his striking accent and unique flow of words.  
My heart beat profusely and I was desperately searching for a distraction to keep myself under control. I broke the stare and looked out through the tinted windows to avoid further conversation. Luckily, it didn't take long to become distracted by the natural beauty of his country. It held so many glorious qualities that the United States didn't, along with various untold stories and memories that I'd hoped Mads would eventually come to share with me someday.  
The car came to a sudden holt in front of a hotel that was far too tall to see the top of from the backseat window.  
"We've arrived, sir."  
Chapter 14: "The Hotel"  
"And here is your Master Suite, sir." The manager showed us inside. "As you can see, the top floor offers a beautiful view of the city. We hope that you will enjoy your stay, Mr. Mikkelsen. It is always a pleasure to have you back."  
I wasn't certain whether or not the manager meant Mads' return to Copenhagen, or his return to the hotel. Copenhagen made perfect sense, yet the hotel rose a subject that would surely remain unexplored.  
"Elise, I hope that you don't mind, but we will be sharing this room for the night. I will take the couch and you can have the master bed."  
"Not a problem." I smiled awkwardly.  
Sleeping in the same room posed no issue whatsoever... It was the fact that I knew that, with him in the room, I wouldn't be able to sleep. I mean, it was hard enough sleeping in his home. God only knew how I would manage to maintain myself and my devilish thoughts all night.  
"Will there be anything else, sir? Any help with the luggage?"  
"No, thank you. I will manage the luggage." Mads slipped him a hundred.  
Mads was anything if not overly generous with his money.  
"Alright my dearest, make yourself at home and I will be right back with our luggage."  
"Our luggage?"  
"I don't understand how many times I need to emphasize to you that I will always take care of you. You needn't ever worry about needing anything when you are with me." he rubbed my shoulders and kissed my forehead.  
I blushed as I watched him sprint out to go and retrieve our luggage.

\---------- 30 Minutes later ------------

"Are you ready Elise?" Mads called out to me from the front desk.  
I was glaring at my reflection in the lobby mirror as I tried to perfect the red color of my lipstick onto my full lips.  
"Yes, of course." I swept the hair out of my eyes and ran, as quickly as my heels would allow me, out the front door.  
A large stretch-limo awaited our arrival right in front of the hotel. Mads opened the door and held the back end of my dress as I got in.  
"I'm going to have to ask you to put this back on again." Mads sat next to me, then closed the door with one hand and held out the blindfold with the other.  
"Ugh... Again?"  
How many times is he going to enforce this blindfold?  
"Come on, Elise... I enjoy the the look of surprise on your face. All will be fine. Trust me, darling." He winked at me with his natural reassuring grace.  
"I trust you." I bit the inside of my lower lip and leaned toward him.  
In that moment I knew... I knew that I had to take advantage of this seductive dress and my masterful womanly ways. I knew that that "something" I had hoped to silence would speak even more loudly than I could possibly bear. I knew that, during this one night, it would be my mission to make him fall madly and irrevocably in love with me. And I knew exactly how I was going to do it.  
Chapter 15: "An Overwhelmingly Courteous Gentleman"  
"Wow, it truly has been years." Mads regarded to himself.  
"What has?" I sat on my hands to keep myself from tearing off the damned blindfold that deprived me of seeing my surroundings.  
Mads seemed to disregard what I had asked and began rustling around as the limo slowly came to a complete stop.  
"Are you ready Elise?"  
Even though I could not see his face, I felt Mads' winning smile pierce through my skin as he brought his cool hands to my strikingly warm cheeks.  
There was something about his delicate touch and joyous embrace that made me feel comforted and reassured.  
"As I'll ever be." I smiled and placed my hands on top of his, leading them to untie the blindfold.  
He leaned in and began to untie the harsh knot, being ever so careful not to get his fingers caught in the midst of my hair. I felt my eyelashes brush along the descending cloth of the blindfold as it slipped down my face.  
It startled me, just how close Mads' face was to my own. I wanted nothing more than to taste him in that moment. I rose my face in, closer and closer to his, until the tips of our noses tickled one another. But he jolted back as soon as I began to tilt my chin into his.  
Mads' smile grew even larger than before, as though he was onto what I was trying to do.  
"Come, Elise. It's time." He opened the door and took my hand.  
My heart skipped a beat and my body froze in awe as my eyes wandered about the Victorian palace whose structured aura glistened into the crisp frosty air; where Spring had obviously not yet sprung. A long, royal blue carpet lead from the drop-off all the way to the grand entrance ... yet "grand" was an understatement when describing the absolute monument of an entrance that stood directly before us.  
I turned around to take in every minuscule aspect of the beautiful country from which Mads reigned. In the dead center of the street lied a statue, at least two stories tall, of a man riding a horse. Although unsure of whom the chiseled figure was, I knew that it brought some sort of significance to the palace of which we were about to enter.  
"Sweetheart, are you alright?" Mads' eyes grew heavy with concern.  
I twitched, startled by his voice. "Oh! Yes, I'm terribly sorry."  
By this point, he must have thought me a ditz with her head in the clouds.. Constantly daydreaming. I mean, he had snapped me out of a complexed trance multiple times already. I truly did need to keep better control of my focus, but I found the fine line separating reality from fantasy to be nonexistent whenever I was with him. Which, of course, made it all the more difficult.  
Mads took my arm and intertwined it within his own. He took a deep breath and forced his shoulders back to straighten his posture. As we walked down the velvety carpet, I couldn't help but smile at how perfect of a couple we looked together... a remarkably dashing couple at that. For the first time, although be it in a different country, we would be seen together openly in public.  
A man dressed in all red greeted us at the door and lead us into the grand ballroom. Hundreds upon hundreds of men and women dressed in their greatest formal attire danced and mingled among one another. A tall, slender English woman stood at the head of the room, with a fully equipped orchestra behind her, glorifying her every note as she sang the all-time classic, "It's Crazy; by Laura Fygi".  
Mads brought us over to the nearby bar and began speaking to the bartender, whom I noticed was wearing the same red suit as the man who greeted us at the entrance, in Danish.  
"En høj øl venligst. Og..." Mads paused and turned to me, "What type of drink would you like, Elise?"  
I felt that nervous feeling that I felt at Mads' house when he asked which wine I had wanted.  
"Mads... You do know that I am only 20, right?"  
He chuckled as if I had said something comical to him. "And? We're in Denmark, darling. The legal drinking age is a tad more lenient here."  
"Oh." I said bluntly, having noticed the sarcasm in his voice. I should have figured as much, being that we were in Europe, but it felt good to hear him brush off my age off as if it didn't matter to him. "Surprise me."  
His grin grew three sizes as he turned back to the bartender and continued talking. "Og til damen, en chokolade bær martini... ekstra vodka."  
I raised my eyebrow and playfully hit him in the arm. "Extra vodka?"  
"You told me to surprise you. By your reaction, I'd say I did a decent job."  
I held back a smile and scoffed "Smart ass." under my breath.  
As the bartender mixed our drinks, a women's shriek echoed through the area.  
"Mads?.... Mads Mikkelsen? Er det dig?"  
Mads was startled, but recognized the woman's voice as he turned and greeted her with a hesitant peck on the cheek. "Ah, Cecilie. Yes, it's been far too long."  
My face grew red with jealously as I wondered why he was being so friendly with this woman. But, in an instant, he pulled back and introduced me to her.  
"Cecilie, I would like to introduce you to my date for the evening, Elise."  
I blushed, thinking of how the word "date" portrayed us as a couple, but wondered if "for the evening" brought with it a different conception and, moreover, a different intention.  
The woman plastered a fake smile among her lips and yanked my hand harshly to shake it. Her grip grew with intensity the longer she kept hold.  
She pushed her tongue in her cheek, glaring me up and down before she spoke. "It's lovely to meet you, Elise."  
It'd be even lovelier to meet my foot up your ass.  
I ground my teeth together, forcing myself from speaking aloud my ever-so-presumptuous thoughts. I, then, greeted her with an identical faux smile and forced my hand from hers into Mads'.  
My tongue curled saucily against my teeth as I enunciated, "Llll-lovely to meet you, as well."  
Her name didn't deserve the privilege of so much as me wasting my breath.  
Meanwhile, Mads remained oblivious to the blistering tension in the air. "So, Cecilie, has the queen made an appearance yet?"  
Queen?!  
"Ah, yes. I was just on my way to greet her. Would you care to join me?" She placed her bulky man-hands onto his chest.  
I'm going to cut this bitch.  
"Certainly. Elise as well, of course?"  
Her upper lip quivered as she choked in verification of his words. "Of course."  
"Dine drikkevarer er klar, sir." The bartender interrupted, having finished making the two drinks.  
"Fremragende, tak." Mads grabbed the drinks and tipped the man before handing me mine. He offered off both of his arms and made eye contact with each of us. "Shall we?"  
Christ, man! Could you lose your captivating charm for five seconds and NOT be an overwhelmingly courteous gentleman, just this once?!  
"We shall." We answered in perfect sync as we immediately slipped our arms into his and made our way towards the other side of the room.  
As much of a bitch as she was, I had to hand it to her, she had quite a comely face and figure. Her chestnut-colored locks traveled past her slim, petite midriff. And while her grey eyes peeked feverishly with a hint blue, her black soul sunk demonically with a hint of evil.  
The Queen's gown and overall appearance was exceedingly extravagant, as it was an apparent symbol of her royal status. She was greeting her guests from afar and making small-talk among the other royal family members.  
Mads turned his head and whispered into my ear. "Careful of how you approach her. It's customary not to make any form of excessively direct contact with The Queen."  
"Got it." I whispered back, after taking a sip of my overly alcoholic drink.  
"Hello Mads. I haven't seen you since you last sat at my dinner table." The Queen's voice was soft as silk, and her English carried crisply without an accent.  
"Your majesty." Mads bowed as Cecilie and I followed. "It has truly been years since the marvelous dinner party that you held. It's an honor to have been invited back into the royal palace, especially in celebration of your 73rd birthday... Not that you look it, your majesty.  
The queen smiled, "Thank you." then nodded us off as she greeted the next group of guests.  
Once out of earshot, I nudged Mads' side. "Goodness, that was quick."  
"I am honestly surprised that we got as much time as we did with her. As shocking as it may seem, I've never really known the royal family all too well. This is the second time I've so much as stepped foot within the realms of the palace, let alone having personally spoken with her. She must have been feeling very generous, having invited nearly half of Copenhagen here, tonight."  
With this, I'd felt even more flattered that Mads had taken me, of all people, with him to such an important event.  
A stout man came up from behind the three of us and snatched Cecilie's arm out from Mads'.  
.... 'Twas a good thing that he did. Someone might have accidentally chainsawed it off.  
"My beautiful Cecilie, I have been searching everywhere for you." The man spoke rapidly with a thick Scottish accent.  
She rolled her eyes. "Mads, it seems that my date has found his way back to me. I should probably be on my way then."  
Yes, yes you should.  
Mads nodded back to her. "I understand. It was great seeing you again. We must get together sometime and catch up."  
No, no we shouldn't.  
"Yes, we must. Godnat." She walked off without further word.  
As I took a sudden sigh of relief, the music slowly silenced. Another man in a red suit came, approached the stage where the English woman had been singing, and escorted her off as the entire room shook with applause.  
A young man, dressed in royal attire, introduced the next set of performers. "The royal family would like to welcome English Opera icon, Russell Watson, and American Broadway star, Victoria Halstead, as they perform ‘Be My Love’ and ‘Volare’ for your listening pleasure."  
Finally alone, Mads took the glass out from my hand and set both drinks down on a nearby table. He extended his right hand out toward me, keeping the other behind his back. "May I have this dance, Elise?"  
Chapter 16: "Beer and Tobacco"  
I adored the way he would say my name.... Especially in romantic situations, at an instance such as this. And the way that his eyes would glisten with passion after every simple gesture. I adored the careful silvery highlights that hid within his dark blond hair. Yet, what confused me most was my adoration for his youthful lips and how they made me want to cry; not because I was sad, or upset, or even overjoyed... but because their power overtook my control of emotion, leaving me with questions of senselessness.  
"Yes." I answered simply and placed my hand in his.  
He exposed his left arm and slipped it behind my lower waist, which sent several shivers down my spine. I put my right hand at rest on top of his tall, broad shoulder and let my fingers fall as our other two hands lingered within each other weightlessly. And with a few subtle movements, our feet began to move in sync as we traveled across the room in soft circles.  
Nothing in life had ever equated to this moment at which all of my world was finally at blissful peace. As we moved, his eyes never once left mine; almost as if he were incapable of parting them away. My eyes grew glossy as I glared back at him and wondered what he could be thinking about as we danced silently.. enjoying nothing but each-other's warm company as the music went on. Mads caressed my lower back, swaying his palm up and down to the rhythm of the song, while never straying too far below. Everything about his touch was electrifying. I struggled to keep my thoughts and pelvis still as my breaths grew deeper.  
Mads brought his face in close, as if he were going to finally kiss me right then and there, but turned and rested his cheek upon mine instead.  
"Elise." He whispered.  
His warm breath tickled my neck.  
"When I'm with you, all of my worries seem to vanish. And honestly, that scares me more than you know." his voice started to shake.  
I whispered back to him. "What's so scary about it?"  
"Much like you, Elise, I don't like not knowing things and yet, even after all that I've gone through, you bring me happiness. It's so perplexing to me, I become fixated with your mind and understanding what makes you tick. I want to know everything about you.."  
He paused as his words soothingly carried more and more sincerity. "I want to know what you think... what you see..... what you feel. I want y-"  
He stopped himself, as if he were about to say something that his heart wanted, but his morality didn't.  
After swallowing his words, he continued talking. "Elise, after having been drowning for so long, you remind me of what it feels like to finally breathe again. And for that, I am forever grateful to you."  
His words made me feel so important. Like I had closed the door of life as I knew it and, quite literally, entered another... one that promised a life of everlasting happiness.  
Yes! Here is where I will make my move..  
I turned and lightly kissed his cheek, carefully sneaking my fingers from his shoulder onto his neck. It felt so pleasant and soft; I just wanted to burry my face into it and never stop suffocating him with my kisses.  
Mads' cheeks turned a bright red as I felt his face simmering against my own. He pulled his face back and began spinning me as the tempo quickened. We continued as such until we neared the song's end, when Mads took me in his arms to finish with a final, classic dip.  
I could feel my hair brushing across the ballroom floor as he held my body more near to his than ever before. He brought his lips inches away from my own and, just as I had closed my eyes and prepared myself for his embrace, lifted his chin and kissed my forehead instead.  
I couldn't help but give him a stirred look of confusion as he brought me back to my feet. What was it that kept him from me? Why was he so afraid to kiss me? My face grew cold as my heart ached with the knowledge that he had no romantic interest in me what-so-ever. Maybe this wasn't the door to everlasting happiness, but rather the door to never-ending agony.  
"Did I do something wrong, Elise?"  
My voice cracked as I tried to hold back tears. "No, I... I.... ... Excuse me for a moment."  
I ran up the stairs and out onto the balcony to try and gather myself... but Mads followed right behind.  
As soon as I reached the edge of the balcony, I lent over and wept, trying to still my hyperventilating chest.  
"Elise! Elise!" I heard from behind as Mads caught up to me and wrapped me in his arms.  
Yet, even while being held in the warmth of his body, I couldn't keep myself from crying profusely.  
"Shhhhh... Shhhh.." He forced my head into his chest and caressed it; he continued to repeat himself until my obnoxious cries lessened into small whimpers. "Shhhh... Elise, calm down darling. Please tell me, what's the matter?"  
"Mads, I-" I gathered myself and took my wet cheek away from his chest. "I am so sorry. I just, I don't think that I can go on with this any longer."  
"Go on with what?"  
"This... Us being 'Just Friends'. Mads, it's tearing me apart inside... More than you know."  
"Oh Elise.. I-"  
"I mean, even after the way that you lead me on before, it's like you continue to torture me on purpose."  
"No! Elise, please let me explain."  
"There's nothing to explain. I'm sorry Mads, but I just can't do it anymore. I don't think that we can continue being friends."  
He took a large breath of air and released it while simply saying, "You're right."  
What?  
I paused in reassurance of his words. "I... I am?"  
"Yes, Elise, you're right. We can't continue to be friends." Mads took my face into his hands and brought it close to his. "Because if we were 'just friends'... I couldn't do this."  
In an instant, he shoved his lips right onto mine; which sent me into shock and made me lose my footing. Without parting our kiss, he picked me up and held me against the wall as he carefully introduced his tongue. I felt my lower back quiver with pleasure as he continued to taste me slowly... passionately... effortlessly. He was a Danish delight whose porcelain kiss traveled beyond my wildest dreams. I could taste the light accents of beer and tobacco on the tip of his tongue.. and as I slid further down his throat, he pushed my head deeper into his so that I could not only taste the godly perfection that was Mads Mikkelsen, but so that I could feel the vibrations of his closed, empowering moan travel through my body.  
"Mmmm.." I moaned right back into his mouth, continuing to enjoy myself in the surrealism of his kiss, until he released his grip and gasped for air.  
"Elise... Elise, I need to have you right now." He nearly shouted with a frenzied look in his eye.  
I could hardly keep still as I felt Mads' colossal erection striking through his pants and taunting my lower waist.  
Oh God!  
"Then take me." I answered back breathlessly, disregarding the entire basis behind our initial conversation.  
His chest rapidly rose up-and-down as he yanked my arm, nearly tripping while bolting down the stairs. We ran outside and into the limo without so much as looking behind to give the palace a second glance.  
Once in the limo, Mads couldn't keep his hands off of me. He buried his face into my cleavage, enjoying every inch of my skin, while managing to shriek out to the limo driver.  
"Back to the hotel.. And step on it!"  
Chapter 17: "An Everlasting Evening"  
Mads practically broke the door down with his foot, continuing to consume every part of my pre-exposed body, as he swept me off my feet and rushed into the room.  
"Mads.... Mads wait a moment..." I managed through my rugged breaths.  
Mads put me down, using all extents of his power to contain himself from attacking my body, which caused him to shake frantically.. like an addict in need of their next hit.  
Oh no Elise, don't you fucking dare.  
"Are you sure that we should do this? What about all that happened last night, in your home? You stopped yourself, Mads. You weren't in your right state of mind."  
Motherfucker, Elise! I warned you! I fucking warned you! Great... There go your chances.. Right out the fucking window with the rest of your sanity.  
"Exactly, Elise. I wasn't in my right state of mind. I was scared... scared that if I fell in love with you, I would only be bringing my hurt into your life. Except, little did I know, my falling in love with you was inevitable; and my ignorance caused you the same pain that I was trying to protect you from. I thought that I could control what I felt... But, with you, I am powerless. I'm sorry that I have played with your emotions for so long, Elise, I pray that you can forgive me for that. Looking back on it, if I had truly been in my right state of mind that night... I would have fucked you the moment that you stepped foot in my house."  
My lips quivered, processing Mads' words.. Especially the extent to which he used the word "fucked".  
"Elise... My beautiful, beautiful girl... Wise beyond your years.." He snuck his devilish lips onto the back of my neck.. beginning to trace his fingers along the back-zipper of my dress. "The things I could do to you, if you would only allow me the privilege of undressing you..."  
"Mmmads!" I flicked my head back and pulled on the sleeves of his jacket, helping him to take it off, while feeling my knees grow more and more weak with each slip of his lustful tongue against the rim of my spine.  
His dominant hand cuffed the lacy lining of my panties... rubbing me back and forth. "If you would only allow me the undeniable pleasure of touching you....." He rubbed me faster, causing me to grow abundantly wet. "...exploring you...."  
Lifting my dress, he made me squeal as he shoved two fingers harshly inside of me. Then, as he pulled out, he brought his damp fingers to his mouth.. forcing them down his throat. "..Mmmm... tasting you.."  
His torturous touch drove my body mad! As my vulnerability emerged, I couldn't help myself from barking orders while tearing away his vest and tie. "Fuck Mads! I want you! I want you soooo bad! Hurry up and unzip me!!! Do it now!"  
He smiled and answered formally, "With pleasure, my darling."  
He took his time unzipping me.. flowing his hands like droplets of water down the curves of my back, and let my custom-made, Valentino dress fall to the floor.  
Mads stood in front of me, keeping his hands at the corners of my hips, as the exposure of my bare breasts became evident to him. Beads of sweat slipped down his brow; he took a large gulp of air and stuttered. "I.. Uh.. I-I th-think that we should take this in-into the bedroom."  
I nodded seductively and wrapped my legs around his waist. While taking me into the bedroom, the massive erection in his pants became even more apparent... brushing against the bottom of my upper thigh, and sneaking it's way up further with each step. He planted his lips back onto mine as I tried to unbutton his white dress-shirt, nearly ripping it in half while tearing it away from his torso.  
I kept my legs cloaked around him as he crawled on top of the bed. Once laying down, I attacked his belt buckle in attempt to remove his pants as well. He giggled at my efforts, and then continued to take his pants off by himself... leaving on his boxer-briefs for me to play with. My eyes focused on the way Mads' manhood outstretched the light fabric that kept it contained.  
I immediately jolted toward him, but he stopped me and forced my hands above my head. "Tsk..Tsk..Tsk.. Not so fast, darling. I want to enjoy every second of you."  
He brought his lips to my forehead, and spent a great deal of time working his way down to my chest. As he carefully caressed each breast, he began to smoothly suck on the most delicate parts... letting light moans escape his mouth as I played with his newly tussled hair.  
After, he made his way down my stomach... lower.. and lower... until he reached my panties. Once his mouth grazed against its thin, lacy texture, an intense wave of hunger overtook his body as he ripped off my underwear with the strength of his teeth.  
My legs trembled with excitement and I bit into my cheek to keep the pleasured noises from escaping. He opened my legs even further, calming them with his touch, as he slowly kissed the top of my clit.  
"OHHH!" I couldn't shut myself up any longer. Everything about this man was unsurpassable and wondrous.  
Mads masterfully introduced his tongue... exposing his entire mouth all about my entrance. He proceeded with this process, increasing his speed, until he was satisfied with the consistency of my screams.  
Then, he rose up and pulled down his boxer-briefs, finally revealing the large, muscular manhood of my dreams... fully erect and begging to be pleased.  
He leant over my body and let it tease my skin as he kissed me one last time before beginning.  
"Are you ready to make love, Elise?" The respectful words of my most genuine gentleman graced my ears once more.  
I pushed my hands against his backside. "Oh God, yes!!"  
Mads let out a large, lengthy grunt as he let himself slide deeply inside of me.  
In this moment, every worry about life that Mads and I had ever shared, vanished into thin air... Leaving nothing, but the holy bliss of two lovers transforming themselves into one, singular happiness. With each thrust came a wave of pure, unconditional love, while his lustful eyes stared past me and reminded me of a person who had been long lost from my memory.  
"Yes Mads!" I yelled out in sheer satisfaction.  
"Louder, Elise! I want you to scream my name. Take ownership of it." He seemed to feed off of my voice.  
"Yes Mads! Oh fuck yes!" I continued to scream out, even more loudly than before.  
Oh you feel so good!  
He increased the speed, pulling in-and-out... in-and-out... in perfect sync to the rhythm of our tingling hips. As he built momentum, I could feel my spine going numb while he enslaved me with his vibrating thrusts.  
He grabbed the back of my neck, and sat me straight up on top of him. "Elise, min engel, come with me.. and I swear I will make you feel things beyond your deepest imagination."  
With one, final thrust, I arched my back and cried out his name as we simultaneously came with one another. Mads made an animalistic groan of pleasure as I enjoyed his pulsing ejaculation burst within me. His liquids traveled like an infectious blessing all about my body.  
We remained silent, in the same position, until our breaths were normal once more.  
Mads gently laid me back down against the bed, hesitantly pulling his manhood out of me.  
"Elise..." he paused. "... Thank you."  
"For what?" I smiled.  
I should be the one thanking you.  
He took my face into his hands and brushed the messy strands of hair out from my eyes. "For taking away my pain... reminding what it is like to be happy again... what it is like to make love to such a genuine woman."  
"It was the most beautiful experience of my lifetime." I brought him in for yet another kiss.  
"It will be the first of many, my love."  
As he laid back, I put my head at rest at the top of his chest and ran my fingers over the tiny dark hairs. I remained that way for hours... remembering his various delightful murmurs of "I love you." as I eventually fell into a sweet slumber.  
Chapter 18: "Mads Monday"  
"Good morning, beautiful." Mads looked down at me as I awoke upon his chest.  
You're dreaming, Elise.  
The sun hit his glowing figure at a perfect angle, highlighting his caramelized cheekbones and leaving his skin dazzling in all its glory. I found my hand draped over his lower waist while my fingers slid around the indent of his pelvic muscle. I savored the similarity of Mads' skin to the Egyptian cotton bed sheets and how effortlessly they each caressed my body. All the while, the perfection of our love making lingered through me and left its mark with a seemingly permanent childish smile carved across my face.  
"Mmm.. Good morning Mads." I rose my head to kiss him.  
Even in the morning, his lips tasted of a naturally subtle sweetness.  
"Hungry? There's a beautiful little cafe in town that I'd like to take you to."  
I laughed, "What's with you and these marvelous breakfasts?"  
He jokingly shook his finger in front of my face and gave me a stern look. "Now, now young lady... Breakfast is the most important meal of the day."  
I squeezed my lips hard together in attempt to finally rid my smile, but my efforts did not prove successful.  
Mads broke our stare with a grin, just as childish as my own, and continued. "Worry not, I have plans for a "marvelous" dinner tonight as well; A surprise, of course."  
"I'm beginning to think that you have an infatuation with surprising me?"  
"No Elise, the only infatuation I have is with you." He kissed the tip of my nose. "Surprising you is just part of the fun! I tend to enjoy pissing you off by always being a few steps ahead."  
I laughed again. "So I've noticed."  
My hands rustled through his messy hair to fix it as he lied silent, at peace with my touch.  
Wait a second... "OH SHIT!"  
Somewhere within that candid moment, reality snuck in to slap me in the face.  
"Mads! It's Monday! We are supposed to be at the studio! Dear God, I had completely forgotten all about it in the midst of everything. Arnie must be going berserk! OH NO... What if he suspects something's going on between us? What are we going to tell him?"  
"Shhh.. Shhh.. Elise, calm down. Arnie goes berserk on a regular basis, and he hasn't a clue of our whereabouts. Besides, he has dedicated the week to editing, so we won't need to come back to work until next week." He brushed my warm cheeks. "Darling, do you remember what I told you, yesterday, when you had asked about the luggage?"  
"Yes..."  
"What did I say?"  
I remained silent.  
"Elise... Come on, I want to hear you say it."  
I took a deep breath. "You said that when I am with you, I needn't worry about anything."  
"And? Have I proven that statement to be a lie?"  
"No... I suppose not."  
He kept his dominantly wise eyes on my lips as he sarcastically bit the inside of his cheek. "Hmmm... Thought so."  
I scoffed, "Tell me, what's it like being such a fucking smart-ass all of the time?"  
"Oh! It's just torturous!" Mads threw his arm against his forehead and pretended to faint.  
I giggled like a five-year-old on an ice cream- induced sugar high. There were few people in my life who could do something so meaninglessly simple and make me burst into such a complex attack of laughter.  
As he got up and gathered himself, he hopped out of bed... completely nude... leaving everything exposed. My eyes traveled up and down his muscular physique until they became fixated upon his manhood, which appeared to be exceedingly larger in the broad daylight. I thought back to the night before and how glorious it felt to have him inside of me. I thought about how flawlessly his body fit within my curves and how his passionate thrusts brought my soul an instantaneous fusion of emotions. But, moreover, I thought about how much I uncontrollably hungered for his body... and wondered how I would be able to control my sudden cravings.  
Mads looked down at me, smiling, wondering why I was still in bed. "Want to take a shower with me?"  
Like you'd even have to ask.  
Chapter 19: "Mother"  
"My God, Mother. I swear, when I am with him, it's like I'm on cloud nine. He treats me like such a princess!"  
Perhaps if I emphasize how much of a gentleman he is, she will brush off his age.  
"He must be very special to you, Elise. You've never talked this way about any of your boyfriends in the past. Tell me more! What's his name?... Where's he from?... WAIT, NO!...Is he rich?"  
"MOTHER!" My voice screeched back through the phone.  
God, she is so immature.  
"Oh, I'm only joking, Elise. Lighten up. But seriously... don't let your poor mother suffer from anxiety, give me all of the dirty details!"  
Sure Mom! Why not start with the fact that your 20-year-old daughter was vigorously fucked last night by a 48-year-old actor who is still, technically, married? Dirty enough for you?  
"He, umm, he is European. And I, uhh, I met him during my creative film class."  
Technically, I wasn't lying.  
"Oh, how sweet! I can't wait to meet him! Will you be bringing him home with you for your birthday? Only two more weeks! You didn't forget about us, did you?"  
Fuck.  
"Uhhh.."  
"Aw, you've been working so hard on your studies; we are so proud of you! Daddy and I have already paid for your ticket... but I'm sure we can scrape up enough for another."  
"No, no Mom I-"  
Mads jolted and grabbed my waist from behind.  
"HOLY SHIT!" I shouted into my cell as I turned and slapped his hands. I put my hand against the mouth piece and scolded him. "You scared the ever-loving shit out of me!"  
His eyes grew heavy as he gave extra pout to his lips. "I'm sorry. You said that you were stepping out for some air, but 15 minutes had passed and I began to worry. I wasn't aware that you were taking a call... I'll leave you to it."  
Why am I such a bitch?  
"No wait! Mads... I'm sorry. I should have been more honest with you, it's just... It's..."  
Mads raised his brow, waiting for me to finish choking on my words.  
".... my mother." I coughed out.  
He smiled and nodded in understanding. "Oh!... I see.."  
My mother's voice blurted out through the speaker; loud enough for Mads to hear. "Elise! Elise, are you alright? Is that the boy I hear?"  
His grin grew from ear-to-ear. "Boy, huh?"  
She continued, "Put me on speaker phone."  
No. No. This is not happening.  
*click*  
"HELLO! Hello!? Am I on speaker?"  
I rolled my eyes, "Yes, mother. We can hear you."  
Her voice changed into a much more formal tone, knowing now that she was speaking to the both of us. "My dear boy, won't you convince Elise into having you come along with her to New York for her birthday? We'd absolutely LOVE to have you with us! Please, won't you accept? The family is dying to welcome you."  
Mads looked to me for an answer, but I remained silent while awkwardly biting my lower lip.  
"Yes, it would be an absolute honor. Thank you for the invitation." He answered in his sultry, deep voice.  
"Oh joy! I can't wait to meet you personally... um... uh... I'm sorry, dear, but Elise has yet to tell me your name."  
We both looked at each other hesitantly, wondering how she would react to his name. We'd only hoped she would not recognize it.  
"Mads Mikkelsen." He answered bluntly. "And your's, m'am?"  
Shit. Shit. SHIT! Dear God, please allow my mother to be cinematically ignorant, just this once! PLEASE!  
"How lovely! My name is Judith Desmond; but please, don't feel the need to refer to me as Mrs. Desmond. You can call me Judi..." She giggled, "Or Mom."  
"My God, mother! Don't burden him with that." I smacked my forehead.  
Mads grew red, trying to hold back his laughter, "It's completely fine. Thank you... Mom."  
"Of course, darling. Might I add, you have quite a deep voice for such a young man; very admirable."  
The color of his complexion grew deeper, as I was certain he was on the brink of an exploding laugh-attack. "Uh, yes. Thank you."  
I immediately took the phone off speaker and put it back against my ear. "Mother, I think I'm going to have to let you go now. I'll talk with you later."  
"Yes, yes, I understand. Have fun! Stay safe! WEAR CONDOMS!"  
"MOM!!!!!!!!!" I screamed back as the line disconnected.  
It became apparent that Mads had heard the last of our conversation as he burst out into a state of laughter that I had never before seen him in. He was, quite literally, in tears.  
I placed my hand on his shoulder and giggled a bit. "I am SOOO beyond sorry about that. How embarrassing!"  
He clenched his stomach as he began to catch his breath. "No, no it's quite alright." He stood up straight and ran his fingers through his hair to gather himself. "Wow, I haven't laughed that hard in years. You're Mother is amazing."  
"Yeah... She's uh, she's something alright."  
"So, when are we going to New York?" Mads relaxed his voice.  
"Two weeks from now. Listen, you don't have to come with me if you don't want to. It's a big step to meet my family and you needn't feel obligated to come all the way home to New York with me. Really, it's fine, I completely understand."  
He wrapped his arms around my neck. "Elise, I wasn't lying when I said I'd be honored to come. I would truly love to meet your family, but I wouldn't want to make you, or them, uncomfortable in any way. If you don't want me there, just say the word and I'll stay behind."  
I looked up to him and smiled, taking in the sweet, light scent of his cologne. "Of course I want you to come! I just... I'm not sure how I'm going to break the news about our age difference is all."  
"We'll tell them together." He tilted my chin up and passionately kissed my lips; as if reassuring me that, with him, everything would be alright.  
"Undskyld sir, vil du vende tilbage til dit bord?" Our waiter from the cafe stepped out to check on us, but Mads continued to kiss me.. sneaking his tongue more deeply down my throat.  
"Sir?..... Sir?....." 

Chapter 20: "The Mile High Club"  
"Are you ever going to take that thing off?" Mads smirked down at the extravagant necklace that he had given me the night that we went to the palace.  
"Are you kidding?! This thing has more cost to it than most human beings. It's never leaving the safety of my neck." I crossed my hands above my collar bone.  
He looked out the window and laughed to himself. "Oh how I love your enthusiasm, Elise."  
"Don't worry, I'll stow it away safely once we return."  
His smile escaped his face as he turned back to me. "Are you certain that we should leave so soon? We don't have to stay in Denmark, we could go anywhere you'd like... anywhere in the world! Just name it and we're there."  
God, I wish we could just escape life itself and never return.  
"Mads, we have to go back to LA." I ignored the turbulence from the jet as I walked across to sit on his lap. "We've been gone for nearly a week and Arnie needs us. Dear God, not to mention that finals week is barely a month away. I still have yet to start on my film."  
As if the "Oh shit!" moment weren't enough, I suddenly remembered that I had still yet to study for my other finals as well. Those tests were, quite literally, the entire consistency of the classes and, moreover, life or death for my GPA.  
Mads took my face into his hands. "You're right. Don't worry about your film, we'll get it done together and on time; I promise."  
"...Okay." I breathed with relief.  
He smiled as he brought his face closer. "What do I always tell my princess?"  
My heart skipped as I heard him name me his princess.  
"Come on, darling..." he continued, awaiting my answer.  
"You'll always take care of me.... I need never worry about anything when I am with you."  
"That's my princess." He kissed me; tongue flicking against the rim of my lips.  
His lips were my drug, more lethal than anything I had ever experienced. He could convince me of all with the subtle simplicity of his warm kiss. What was worse, was that his touch drove my body to the brink of insanity.  
My hips grew uneasy and my desire restless as I went up for air. "My God, Mads. I want you so much right now.  
Without a second's notice, he spread my legs apart; sneaking his way up my skirt and tugging down my panties. I simultaneously unclasped his belt buckle and pulled away at his zipper. His erection pulsed through his underwear as I began stroking it with my hands.  
Once I touched his manhood, he straddled me onto him and shoved himself inside of me.  
"Fuck!" He shrieked, legs quivering against the leather seat. "Oh fuck, Elise! Your body is sensational!"  
Without bothering to unbutton my blouse, he completely tore it apart, causing the buttons to explode all about.  
Before I had the chance to scold him for ripping up my shirt, he devoured his face into the crevice of my neck and unclasped my bra. "Shhhh.." he whispered. "I'll get you a new one."  
Holy fuck.  
He started to thrust into me more quickly; picking my body up and then pushing it back down with the strength of his hands.  
"Yes!" I screamed as my lower back shivered with his vibrating pleasure.  
Mads stood up, holding me against him, as his animalistic ways became apparent to me, yet again. He shoved our frenzied bodies onto the floor and bit his fanged teeth into the tip of my shoulder.  
"Ssskk... Ouch." I slightly murmured to myself.  
"Oh shit!" Mads sat up and silenced his hips. "Elise, I'm so sorry! Are you alright?" He leaned in to kiss the spot where he had left harsh teeth marks, but I pushed him back.  
"I'm fine, I promise. Just keep going. Don't stop!" I was nearing the brink of orgasm. I now tore apart his shirt and forced his manhood back inside of me.  
His devilish smile returned as he restrained my arms above my head and thrust more rapidly than before. As his newly darkened eyes stared right into mine, I could feel a wave of energy that could not be described as anything other than supernatural. We had become a singular body, a singular mind, a singular soul; and I couldn't do anything but feel. Feel everything.  
"Oh yeah, min elskede! Tell me baby.." He barked. "Whose girl are you?"  
Beads of sweat glistened within his hairline as his chest hair tickled my neck and torso.  
"Your girl." I flicked my head back, sacrificing my entire being unto him.  
"Louder!" He snapped. "Whose girl are you!?!"  
"Yours Mads! I'm your girl! I belong to you!" My insides pulsed all around him as I felt myself begin to come.  
"Fuuucckk!!!" His manhood grew soft as he burst his massive load inside of me.  
Just as we were about to catch our breaths and return to reality, we endured a sudden screech from an unknown, womanly voice. "OH MY GOD!" Her face lost all source of color as she choked upon her words and covered her eyes. "I... I... I am so sorry, Mr. Mikkelsen. I was only coming to ask if you two had wanted some champagne. Please forgive me."  
We both jumped up in embarrassment and gathered on the ripped bits of clothes that were sprawled all about the plane.  
"No, no Jessica. It's far alright. I should be apologizing to you, that was beyond unprofessional of me. Please forgive my foolishness about the jet." Mads slicked his hair back while his eyes transformed back to their natural hazel.  
The stewardess hesitantly drew her hands away. "I-is there anything I can get for you?"  
"I'm so sorry to ask, Jessica, but could you grab us two fresh shirts?" He re-clasped the belt around his pants while handing me back my bra.  
After a few minutes, Jessica had returned with our new shirts. She quickly handed Mads his first, and then carefully gave mine to me.  
I whispered to her, out from Mads' earshot; I felt the need to apologize for my behavior as well. "Jessica, I am so sorry about all of that. Truly, I am."  
"Trust me, it's no big deal." She whispered back with a friendly smile. "By the way darling, welcome to The Mile High Club."  
Chapter 21: "The Incident"  
All I remember was hearing Mads, Arnie, and Sam arguing inside of the trailer while I patiently waited outside for Mads to return. Inklings of consistent profanities rang through my ears as I paced, anxious of what I did not yet know.  
"Fuck you, Arnie! Find someone else to fund your piece-of-shit production." Mads stormed out of the trailer and grabbed my wrist, pulling me close behind, as he made his way back to the car.  
What the hell is going on?  
Arnie and Sam weren't far behind as they chased us the entire way to the parking lot.  
Mads handed me the keys. "Elise, get in the car."  
"Why? Mads, what's going on?"  
"Elise!....please."  
I had never seen him react so harshly towards me, yet I assumed that it was with good reason, so I did as I was told without question.  
Even though I had barricaded myself inside of Mads' priceless Aston Martin, I could still briefly view and hear the heated conversation that took place beside the driver's door.  
Mads brought his face close into Arnie's... So close in fact, that I was almost certain he was about to knock Arnie off his feet. "How fucking classic of you. Fuck Arnie, you haven't changed a bit since then, have you? Still stuck in the fucking past! And now you've brought Sam into your fucking dramatic bullshit too?! Just. Fucking. Stellar."  
"I'm stuck in the past?... I'M stuck in the MOTHERFUCKING PAST?!! Take a long, hard fucking look at yourself, Mads! You're out fucking around like a God-damned teenager and you have the insolent nerve to turn the blame onto me? Grow the fuck up!" Arnie laughed and peaked through the windshield. "Why don't we tell innocent little Elise who Mads Mikkelsen really is, shall we?"  
"Don't you dare fucking bring her into this!" Mads skimmed his bright-red fist against Arnie's cheek.  
Arnie pushed Mads aside and began walking toward the passenger side of the car, where I was sitting in complete silence and awe of the situation. "Elise, sweetheart, why not ask Mads about why he is truly producing this film for me? Hmmm?"  
Just as he was about to open the door, Mads grabbed him from behind and slugged him straight between the eyes. "I said to leave her out of this!!"  
He continued to yell in Arnie's face as Sam took a knee to aid the massive blow. "You so much as look at her sideways, and I'll fucking end you!"  
"Mads!" I started to scream from inside of the car. "Mads, stop it!"  
Would someone PLEASE inform me of what the fuck is going on?!  
With Arnie's blood on his knuckles, Mads quickly got into the car and drove off. His arms were shaking with outrageous emotion on the steering wheel as I mentally examined the remainder of his exceedingly disturbed physique. His hair was an absolute mess, carefully peaking over his newly blackened irises while his delicate lips bled from the force of his grinding fangs.  
I leant over and cleaned the sweat from his cheeks with one hand and wiped away the blood from his mouth with the other. "Mads, baby, what on Earth just happened back there?"  
Disregarding my question, he asked me another. "Do you think that your parents would mind if we came a week early?"  
"W-what? No, they wouldn't mind at all. Why?... What's going on?"  
"We are going to need to leave soon. Tonight, if possible." He licked away the remainder of the blood lingering from his lips.  
“Mads, I don’t understand-“  
“Elise! I need you to listen very carefully and not ask questions at the moment. We haven’t much time and we need to leave LA right now. Please darling, I need you to be strong for me and trust that I will make everything okay again. Can you do that for me baby-girl?”  
“… y-yes, Mads.”

Chapter 22: "Rationalizing"  
"Um, hey mom." I reclined in the light leather seat and anxiously awaited my mother's voice on the other end of the line.  
I was naturally exhausted as a result of two things: The first being that I had hardly slept during the flight from Denmark to LA and managed to then, finally, surpass the peak of my energy. The second contributor, and frankly the most alarming, was the overwhelmingly surreal course of events that took place shortly after our arrival back. Such time in which Mads went berserk.  
Something changed in Mads when we left Denmark, something about him became broken. While I was still unsure of everything that had happened within the time that we landed in LA and, quite immediately, left, I knew that whatever it was that blew up would inevitably become resurrected and haunt the both of us.  
From the exact point that we left the studio, we followed a strict sequence. Mads drove me by my apartment to gather anything extra that I wanted to take with me to New York, then followed forth to his house to do the same. After we had what we needed, Mads took us straight back to the jet for take off; where he still kept me oblivious to the situation at hand.  
"Hello darling, I'm surprised that you called me for once. What's up?" My mother answered energetically, as she always did.  
"Hey... Umm... Uh, would you mind if I came home a bit earlier than expected? Um... Like... Now, in fact?"  
Her voice carried concern as a result of her motherly instincts. "Well of course darling, but your flight doesn't leave until next week. Is everything alright?"  
"Yeah! Yeah, everything is fine. And don't worry... Mads already paid for the flight." I was slightly hesitant; trying not to leak the fact that we were flying in on Mads' private jet.  
"Oh! He did? Where did he come up with the money for that? I hope that it wasn't too much trouble for him. Elise, please tell him that we'll reimburse him for his troubles!"  
"No. Mom, it's fine. You could say Mads is... um... on the 'wealthier side' of the spectrum. It's really no issue at all."  
She giggled, "Oh? That's certainly something you've managed to leave out."  
"Because it's not that big of a deal, Mom. Does it really matter whether he is or is not wealthy?"  
"No Ma'am." She struggled to contain her laughter. "So when should we expect you? I'll have Dad meet you at the airp-"  
"No!" I shrieked through the phone, which startled Mads from the remarkably peaceful nap he was taking in the seat just across from me; dreaming away his worries.  
He looked to me and mouthed Are you okay? as I nodded and continued to my mother. "No, we'll get a cab and meet you at the house later tonight. Don't worry, I remember the way."  
".. Okay. Uh, I guess we'll see you when you arrive then."  
I sighed with relief. "Alright Mom, I'll see you later on. Love you."  
Her docile smile struck me through the phone as she finished the conversation. "I love you too, Elise. See you soon."  
Mads, now fully awake, leaned forward and grazed his hand over my thigh. He breathed heavily, releasing the stress that he had held within himself ever since the incident occurred.  
"Elise..." He gulped and looked into my eyes. "I cannot express to you how infinitely sorry I am about what happened today, back at the studio. I have no reasonable explanation to justify my behavior. I acted violently, and I did so in front of you... that should never have happened."  
"You're right, Mads. You should not have acted that way at all. You could have permanently injured Arnie! Shit, he was barely conscious when we left him there with Sam." My eyes narrowed. "You could be in serious trouble for that."  
"Elise, protecting you is, and will always be, my top priority. I had to do what I thought best to protect you at the time. Arnie was being irrational... he might have hurt you."  
I could no longer contain the fusion of emotions that I'd kept bottled-up until that point; so I began to cry. "Fucking EVERYONE was being irrational! Christ! Why can't you just tell me what the fuck is going on?!"  
"Oh, baby.." He stood-up and took me into his arms, swaying softly from side-to-side, as I continued to ball.  
He moved his hand back-and-forth across my back and gently shushed me until I caught my breath once more. As I removed my wet-mess of a face from the crook of his neck, he slid his thumbs across my cheeks to wipe away the remainder of my tears, leaving behind his tender kisses after each reassuring touch.  
"Listen..." Mads titled my chin up. "I know that everything seems like a mess and you are only trying to make sense of it all, but for now, I have to figure this out on my own. I promise that I'll tell you everything when the time is right. Just keep your trust in me, like you always have, and bear with me until then? Please?"  
"O-okay."  
"Thank you." He pulled my face further into his as he abruptly curved his lips entirely around mine.  
His kiss takes away all of my worries.  
Jessica knocked on side of the wall with her eyes shut as she entered. "Am I okay to come in?"  
Mads and I both chuckled a bit as we parted our kiss.  
"Yes, Jessica. Please, come in." Mads flattened out his navy blue dress shirt.  
"Thank you, sir." She regarded back as she opened her eyes. "Captain Adams has instructed me to inform you that we should be landing within the next hour or two. Also, you have an urgent telephone call from..... uh...."  
She paused and stared at me for a brief moment before whispering the caller's name into Mads' ear.  
"I see... Thank you, Jessica. That'll be all." He scurried to the back of the jet to answer the mysterious caller.... privately.  
While he was gone, I roamed around in circles; contemplating whether or not I should even attempt to eavesdrop on his conversation.  
What are you thinking, Elise?! Don't you dare sneak around and listen in on his private conversation. It's obviously private for a reason. He's just trying to organize the mess that was made and keep you out of harm's way. Don't meddle in and cause any more trouble than needs be. But what if he's hiding something from you? No... No! What are you talking about? You're being crazy. Mads will tell you everything in due time. He would never hide anything from you.... Would he? No! He wouldn't!... I mean, at least not without good reason. He's just trying to protect you, Elise, that's all...... That's all he's trying to d-  
As if on cue, Mads came back and appeared to be slightly more disoriented than before. Although, once he'd noticed that I had seen him walk in, his expression changed completely.  
"Elise!" He exclaimed. "I'm sorry about the call, darling. It was just messy business-related stuff, nothing to worry about."  
"Are you sure?" I bit my lower lip with concern.  
"Yes, of course I'm sure. Trust me, everything is going to be much better soon. You needn't stress yourself anymore over it.... As a matter of fact, what you truly need to do is get some sleep."  
"Is it really that apparent?" I laughed as I tried to rub away the dark circles from under my eyes.  
Mads grabbed a large blanket and gestured for me to sit with him. I relaxed my body upon his lap while I buried my face into the core of his chest. Cloaked in the intensifying warmth of both the furry blanket and Mads' arms, I effortlessly shut my weary eyes and slept.

Chapter 23: "Home, Sweet, Home"  
"Wait!" I stopped Mads before he rang the doorbell. "So... How are we going to go about this?"  
He shrugged. "I don't know, I guess we'll just have to play it by ear."  
"Wh-what does that mean?!"  
"Elise... We are going to have to tell them eventually." He giggled to himself, "I just hope that your poor mother doesn't collapse when she opens the door and sees me."  
"Mads!" I socked his bicep. "You're..." I, too, started to giggle. "You're awful! Hahaha... S-stop it!"  
Apparently, within the brief moment that we joked around and nudged at each other, my mother conveniently decided to open the front door; at which point our playful smiles turned to stone-cold stares.  
"H-hi there, Mom."  
My mother furrowed her brows and looked at us both with dumbfounded eyes. "Hey there...... Come on in."  
Once inside, my mother faced us and changed her expression while shutting the door behind her. "I'm so sorry, you must be Mads. Correct?"  
"Yes, and you're Elise's lovely mother, Judith." He stretched out his right hand to shake hers, but she denied it and wrapped her arms around him instead.  
"Oh, don't be so formal. It's a pleasure to finally meet you!"  
Seeing them act so warm with one another sent a sudden wave of relief throughout my body.  
"Please, make yourself at home." She released Mads and escorted us into the newly furnished living room.  
Ah, that was painless.  
Just as we all had taken a seat, my father came running down the stairs. "Is that my little Elise I hear?!"  
Shit. It's Dad... And things were going so well.  
"Hi, Dad." I gulped, seeing the same look of confusion on his face that was previously on my mother's.  
Mads, seemingly startled, instantly stood up and shook his hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Sir. I'm Mads Mikkelsen."  
"Uh... Yeah, it's nice to meet you too." He released their grasp and continued while he took the seat where Mads had previously sat next to me. "As I'm sure Elise has informed you, I'm Phillip Desmond; you may refer to me as Mr. Desmond or feel free to stick with Sir."  
"Phil!" My mother barked from across the room. "Mads, please ignore my husband's foolish behavior." She snapped for him to move from where he was sitting, and he did as he was told.  
I weaved my hand into Mads' once he sat back down; his palms were dripping with sweat.  
"So, Mads, Elise tells us that you two met during her creative film class?"  
I could see a plethora of questions hiding behind my mother's plastered smile and, honestly, I couldn't blame her for it. Surly, Mads was not the ideal 'Mads' that my parents had in mind, but he was the 'Mads' that I loved. And, luckily, my mother knew that. We'd always had a sort of telepathic connection, my mother and I, and I admired it greatly. With a single glance of the eye, one could read the other's thoughts based purely upon body language and natural instinct. I guess you could classify it as our 'sixth sense'.  
Gathering himself back together, Mads re-greeted her smile. "Ah yes, that's certainly one way to put it. But, as I'm sure you can obviously see, I'm not a student."  
"Obviously." My father scoffed under his breath. A remark which was soon met with a sharp jab in the side from my mother.  
"Yes.." Mads continued. "I actually met Elise through the studio, where I've been w-...uh.. where I was working at the time."  
My mother raised her brow and turned to me. "Studio?"  
"Oh yeah!" I laughed out, joking as if I had completely forgotten to mention my work at Universal. "Our class was given the opportunity to work on set at Universal Studios, Hollywood in order to shoot our final."  
"Oh wow, and you two just stumbled into each other?"  
"Eh, basically. More or less." I nodded.  
"Ah, I see." She faced Mads once again. "So, what is it that you do in the studio?"  
"I guess it depends on the workload for the day." He grinned, masterfully twisting the subject without a single lie. "I'd say it varies quite a bit."  
"You know, it's funny. You have such a familiar face! Almost like I've seen you some place before. I couldn't imagine you'd be the type of person who only works behind the scenes."  
His cheeks became warm. "Actually, I've been acting on-screen for quite some time."  
It was strange to see Mads in a heated moment of embarrassment; it was an emotion that I had rarely seen and grew slightly curious of. It almost gave me reassurance... reassurance that Mads was, in fact, a normal human-being with normal reactions to typical situations.  
"Ah! I knew it!" She nudged my father again. "See, Phil? Elise nabbed herself a successful actor."  
Dear God, Mother..  
Dad rolled his eyes and got up from the couch. "It's getting late. I think that it's time to head off to bed."  
"Goodnight Elise," he called out on his way up the stairs. "I'll see you in the morning."  
"Don't mind him, Mads." My mother added. "He gets a little grumpy when it's late. I'm sure he'll be in a much better mood by morning."  
"No worries." He winked back.  
I glanced off at the exceptionally grand wall clock hanging above the newly-restored fireplace. "He is right though, it is getting late. It's one-in-the-morning, Mom. I don't want to keep you up any later than needs be."  
"Alright." She nodded as Mads helped her to stand. "I'm sorry to say this Elise, but your father and I have already turned your old room into an office space. You two are going to have to use the guest room down here."  
Trust me, it's no problem AT. ALL.  
I brought her in for hug and kiss goodnight. "That's completely fine, Mother."  
I didn't need Mads seeing my old flowery pink bed sheets and stuffed animal collection anyway.  
She whispered "Behave." into my ear before pulling back and making her way up the stairs.  
Yes, Mommy Dearest.  
Once I had heard her bedroom door shut, I took in a large breath of air and, subsequently, let it out in a heaving formation. My body treasured the feeling of finally being able to breathe again.  
"Mads, I'm so-"  
"Stop. Elise, don't apologize. There's no need to." He stroked my cheek with the side of his hand.  
"B-but my father-"  
"It's alright, Elise. I didn't expect him to warm up to me so instantly, really either of them for that matter. We'll, uh, we'll just have to give it some time."  
I nodded back before burying myself within his arms. There was something so pure and naturally settling about the beautiful embrace of his strong, yet careful arms. It was almost like, as long as he held me... as long as he kept me intertwined within his breathtaking touch, I was invincible. Nothing could harm me, and nothing could even come close to parting the supernatural bond that was of our love. In his arms, I ..... we .... were limitless.  
He gently lowered his head and kissed the top of my lips, just below the Cupid's bow. "Come now, Darling. It's time that we get an appropriate amount of rest for once."  
Chapter 24: "Seal of Approval"

"Would you pass me the juice, Phil?" My mother pried any bit of communication that she could get out of my father; he had remained silent all morning. 

"Mhmm." He mumbled back while passing the pitcher of orange juice across the table. 

The morning's seating arrangement was assessed to my father's liking. He sat by me, and Mads sat by my mother; leaving Mads and I at a diagonal angle from each other, and my father directly facing him. The arrangement was certainly not ideal.

At any other instance or occasion I wouldn't care who was sitting where, but I knew my father and the mind-games that came with his voluntary silence. He had acted in a such a childish manner numerous times before and, on most accounts, proved successful in his endeavors. Therefore, achieving whatever fucked-up sociological justice he'd felt the need to achieve through his outrageously fucked-up reasoning. Yet, what was truly upsetting was the fact that he had been allowed to act like a 2 year old throwing a tantrum for so long. No one had ever stepped up to the plate and broken him of his habits, not even my mother. Perhaps, when they'd first met, she thought that it was a phase he'd eventually grow out of. Or, perhaps she just didn't care to sink down to his level of twisted reason; I know I never did. Nevertheless, whatever justice he was seeking by acting like a complete asshole in front of Mads, the man that I loved greatly, it would not be tolerated any longer. 

"Dad, may I speak with you outside for a moment?" I asked sternly, hoping that I was not crossing any boundaries of disrespect. 

He widened his eyes, shocked at my tone. "Uh, sure." 

"Excuse us." I added calmly to Mads and my mother as I got up and followed my father out the front door. 

Although Spring had been sprung, the crisp air was far more chilling than that of sunny Los Angeles. I wrapped my arms around my shivering biceps; I hadn't yet dressed to take on the outside weather of New York. All I had to keep me warm was the light knit throw I wore over my tank-top and the black canvas shoes that were tripping over the ends of my favorite flare jeans. 

"You're freezing, Elise!" My dad turned back toward the door. "Here, let's go inside and get you a jacket." 

"No. No, Dad, I'm fine. We need to talk." 

"Okay?..." He laughed. "What is it?" 

"Dad, please don't play stupid.. at least not with me. You know very well what it is we need to talk about." 

He rolled his eyes. "Oh God, is this about Mads?" 

"Yes!" I barked. "You know damn well this is about Mads! Why are you being such an ass?! What fucking grudge do you have against him?!" 

"Hey! Watch your tongue, young lady." 

I took a deep breath and calmly continued. "Dad... Why can't you give him a chance? Can't you show him just an inkling of respect and kindness? Please, for me? You'll learn that he is truly an extraordinary gentleman who cares for me deeply and sincerely. I understand that he is not necessarily the ideal man that you had in mind for me; he's a bit older and has a funny accent, but he loves me. He loves me, Dad, and I love him. I love him more than I can possibly express with words! He treats me infinitely better than anyone ever has, Dad. He makes me feel so wonderful about myself, like I'm this rare flower of beauty and perfection that can only blossom under the tenderness of his love. To him, I'm his entire world... and he is mine. Dad, I realize that it all seems a little unorthodox and strange, but that's what love is! Love is crazy and weird and it doesn't make much sense to anyone... But love is love, and it sees past every worldly imperfection, big or small, that you may see in him. I love him, Dad. I love him to the moon and back. And nothing that you say or do is going to change that." 

My father remained silent for a long period of time, processing the intense monologue I had just bestowed upon him. 

Oh God, what masterfully malicious plan is he conjuring up now? 

"You're absolutely right." He finally spoke. "Honey, I am SO sorry for the way I've been acting. If what you say is true... if Mads truly cares for you like you say he does, I'd be more than willing to give him a chance. A man as genuine as the man you've just expressed to me definitely deserves my upmost respect." 

I instantly wrapped my arms around him, crazed that I had finally gained his acceptance. "Oh, thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you so SO much!!" 

"Calm down, calm down.." He laughed. "Let's get back inside and finish our breakfast. Perhaps we can all go out for a walk in the park later on?" 

"That sounds absolutely wonderful." My smile spread from ear-to-ear with immense joy. 

 

*********************************** 

"Are you sure that you can't come along with us?" My father asked as Mads called for a cab. 

"Yes, I'm so terribly sorry, but there's some urgent business I need to take care of while I'm in town. I'll catch up with you all later on tonight." 

I wasn't aware, specifically, of what urgent business Mads needed to attend to in town, but I had a strong inference that it had something to do with the incident that had occurred back in LA. While my curiosity grew avidly each day, I knew that I could not afford to allow it to gain control over me. 

He kissed my forehead before entering the backseat of the cab. "Text me throughout the day and let me know how you're doing, okay?" 

"I will." I smiled, wanting desperately to tag along and receive answers to my endless questions. 

"See you soon!" My mother waved off to him as the cab drove away. 

My father wrapped his arm over my shoulder as we started to walk down the sidewalk. "So, where's he headed, Elise?" 

"I honestly don't know. Something to do with the production most likely." 

"Ah." He breathed simply, in no way convinced of my reasoning. "Hopefully he'll be back in time for dinner." 

"Yeah... Hopefully."  
Chapter 25: "21 Years"

Fewer moments in life are more awkward than having the ones you love circle around you and sing the most scripted of all songs until the point that you blow out the burning sticks of wax over your food while listening to everybody clap because you accomplished something as simple as exhaling. God only knows why my mother insisted on making me a birthday cake and videotaping my reaction to her singing each year; perhaps she felt that it was now a family tradition, being that she'd done it for so long. Perhaps, to her, there was something comforting and natural about the same unnatural expression I had to her tone-deaf voice. Although, whatever her reasons, and whatever my somewhat uncomfortable feelings on the matter, I apprciated her thoughts and efforts.  
Mads had went to a great deal to ensure that I was properly dressed for the evening; he'd set plans for that night, but kept me in the dark about what exactly those plans were. Quite coincidentally, Annabella had been in town dressing models for a professional shoot and took some time out of her busy schedule to give me a bit of dolling-up for my birthday; busy woman that she was, she was genuinely considerate.  
"So, what time are we going out for drinks?" My mother nudged me with a childish smile.  
"We?" I widened my eyes and smiled back to her.  
"Well damn..." She went back into the kitchen with my father to grab some plates and utensils. "It was worth a shot."  
Mads leaned over the back of my chair and swooped in to kiss me on the cheek. "Mmmm... I have a night of surprises just waiting for you."  
"Oh, do you now? Just what kind of surprises did you have in mind?"  
"Tsk.. Tsk.. If I told you, it wouldn't be much of a surprise, now would it?" He bit down naughtily on his beautiful, full lips and eyed mine like candy.  
"Ah! Here we are, Elise." My mother announced her rearrival into the room as my father followed close behind.  
Mads let his hands linger over my shoulders, regaining his proper sense of posture. He seemed to keep a strong hold to his sense of formality when around my parents; he hid away any form of affection when they were watching.  
Mom began slicing slivers of her homemade German chocolate cake. "Don't worry, we'll hurry along so that you two can go out for the night. Just do your dear mother a favor and entertain me by at least pretending that you enjoy my cooking."  
"But, I do enjoy your cooking."  
"Yes, that's the spirit!" She handed me a small slice with a plastic spork shoved beneath the center.  
"Elise.." My father interrupted as I took a bite. "Could I borrow you for a moment before you head off?"  
"Yeah, sure." I stood up and answered with my mouth half-full. "Taste's great, Mom." I added before walking off into the living room.  
"Everything okay?"  
"Yes, of course. I, uh.." He paused briefly. "I just wanted to ask you something."  
"Sure thing. Shoot."  
"Well, first off, know that your mother and I love you very much and would hate to see you get hurt."  
What?  
My face grew stern. "Dad, where are you going with this?"  
"No, no.. I'm not trying to bring this anywhere. I just, I..." His words began to stumble again; a frequent habit of his whenever he faced an uncomfortable situation. "I have a feeling that Mads is not quite the 'extraordinary gentleman' that you believe him to be."  
I ground my teeth with disgust. "Are you fucking kidding me right now!?? Really? We're back to square one?"  
"Elise, please, there's something you don't-"  
"No!" I shouted. "Save it. I'm done trying to prove Mads' and my relationship to you; you're too damned stubborn! It's almost like you can't stand to see me, finally, in a state of happiness."  
He shouted right back. "You know that's not true!"  
"Is it? Because I honestly can't tell anymore. I truly don't understand why you can't just be happy along with us."  
"Elise, your happiness is all that your mother and I could ever want for you."  
I snorted sarcastically before crossing my arms. "Ha! I love how easily you talk about this 'your mother and I' shit; as if everything between the two of you is just peachy-keen!"  
"Don't start bringing up the past again, Elise.."  
"Oh! But why don't we, Dad? You and I both know the real reason why you can't stand the happiness of a well-functioning relationship. You murdered the happiness of your marriage for your own selfish gain!"  
"Stop it! It was years ago!"  
"You cheated, Dad! You fucking cheated, and you didn't just betray Mom... you betrayed the whole damn family!" I stormed off in a rage to fetch Mads and get the hell out of there; if I were to have stayed any longer, my anger would've surly com-bust into a gory attack.  
How dare he... How fucking dare he?! What the hell gives him the right to judge my relationship with Mads, when he doesn't even know how to correctly run his own?! He thinks that he can go off and denounce his family like he did and somehow earn a 'Get out of Jail Free' pass over the course of a few years? Ha! What a crock of shit...  
*************************************  
"Keep your blindfold on, baby doll." Mads guided me along as I took tiny steps forward.  
"I swear to God, I'm going to burn this damn thing one day." My hands shook by my sides, anxiously yearning to claw the blindfold from my face.  
While I was partially irritated by the necessity, rather enforced consistency, of Mads' beloved blindfold, what had ultimately provoked me was the belated conversation of dismay that I had with my father leading up to that point.  
"It seems like you've yet to release your anger, Elise."  
Shit, he can read me so well.  
I felt the heat of his tender lips across the sharp tip of my right shoulder as he whispered from behind. "You need to shift your focus away from your family. Let's relax and enjoy the rest of your birthday."  
There it goes again... all of my pain whisked away with his candid presence.  
"You're absolutely right. I shouldn't let something as foolish as my father's incompetence get under my skin. I'll be okay."  
"That's my girl." He snuck his hands below my hips and played with the silk of my dress as we continued to walk forward.  
The further along we stepped, a thick stream of music became apparent. I couldn't make out a specific genre, but it gave off an infectiously soothing vibe. Treasuring the sensitivity of my ears reminded me in a surprisingly pleasant way of the first time I met Arnie back at the studio; an encounter that later lead to meeting Mads. It was strange to think how naive and unaware I was at the time, and how quickly the relationship that Mads and I had with Arnie shattered to pieces. While Mads had the power to make me forget about my problems, his outburst with Arnie proved to remain a worry in the back of my mind... one that I had to re-bury after each reoccurring resurrection of the thought. Yet, that is what made it all the more difficult and terrifying to me. The fact that sooner rather than later, I would have to unleash the demons of Pandora's Box.  
"Okay, stop right here." Mads moved to untie the blindfold. "Happy Birthday, Elise."  
I carefully batted my eyes to clear my sight and keep my eyelashes from clumping together.  
Wait a second.. Is that?... No.. It couldn't be! What the fuck?!  
"Arnie!! What the hell are you doing here?!"  
Chapter 26: "Le Toit"

"It's nice to see you too, Elise." Arnie chuckled as he turned from his seat at the bar.  
Once again, I wasn't aware of what the fuck was going on; but I knew that this time, I was not going to back down from getting my answers. I was substantially tired of being kept in the dark and I wasn't going to let these boys play any more mind games with me... not on my birthday, that was for damn sure.  
I glared directly into his crystal-blue irises. "I'm serious, Arnie, what the hell is going on here?"  
Arnie opened his mouth as if he were about to spill an ocean of juicy secrets, but looked back to Mads' oh-so neutral expression and immediately sealed his lips shut. It was obvious that they had some unofficial agreement of silence for the situation at hand, but I wasn't certain as to why.  
What could possibly be so alarming that both Mads and Arnie would only resort to absolute secrecy?  
"Elise..." Mads finally spoke up. "Arnie is here because I invited him. I thought that it was high time we let you in on what's been going on, together."  
I snorted sarcastically. "Seriously... You thought that now, on my birthday of all days, was the best time to explain the fucking shit-storm that went on between the two of you. The incident in which you two nearly fucking killed each other? You think that now, now is the best time, hmmm?"  
"Darling, I realize that this is not an ideal situation, nor is it expected of you to discuss this right now..."  
"Oh no!" I exclaimed with the same flustered sarcasm. "I think that now is more opportune a time than any! Please, do not hesitate to explain."  
Mads exhaled into a stressed sigh as he pinched the back of his neck and mouthed the word, 'fuck'.  
Arnie hopped up and set his hands softly on my shoulders, giving them a slight shove. "Elise, it's probably best if you take a seat."  
Still provoked, I skeptically sat in Arnie's seat with my legs crossed, waiting attentively for the two of them to rid their choking.  
"So.." He continued. "I'm sure you're probably wondering what it is that caused the outburst that Mads and I had back in Los Angeles."  
"Wow, look at the big brains on Brad." I detested back playfully.  
Mads ultimately spoke up. "Elise, it was all just a misunderstanding."  
"A misunderstanding? Really? Could you be any more ambiguous?"  
"I'm not trying to be..." Mads sighed again. "Listen, the reason that I've been so secretive has only been to protect you. My wife... She..."  
He paused to look at Arnie and collect his thoughts before resuming on. "She said something to Arnie that wasn't true and it inevitably set him off."  
My eyes narrowed in dismay. "What did she say exactly?"  
Arnie, now, took advantage of his turn to speak. "She lied, Elise. That's all that matters."  
"No... No that's not all that matters. This lie drove the two of you to enraged violence. Now, I asked what she said and I want to know."  
Longer moments of silence arose as I grew every bit more antsy.  
"Fuck this." I stood up and stomped off, unsure where to, in my cherry-red high heels. "I'm done playing games."  
"Baby Doll.." Mads grabbed my arm, but I yanked it from his grip.  
"Don't you dare fucking 'Baby Doll' me, Mads. I'm tired of you hiding things from me; I won't live a life of secrets."  
"Elise, I only want what's best for you..."  
"Then tell me! Just tell me what she said. I need you to be honest with me."  
"Fine..." He groaned as he slicked back his silvery blond locks. "She claimed that I was going to pull out of the production at the last minute and leave Arnie in a massive debt."  
"Wait.. What?" I shook my head.  
"He got upset and a bit manic, as he sometimes does, and blew up at me. Again, it was all a misunderstanding."  
Arnie nodded his head toward me in reassurance of Mads' words.  
"B-but I don't understand. Why would she create an absurd lie like that?"  
"I told you, Elise, she's making this divorce much messier than needs be."  
"My God." I placed my hands on my hips and huffed. "What a bitch?!"  
Mads snuck his arms underneath mine and bundled me into a pleasantly soothing hug. "Baby Doll, you don't need to worry about it. This is why I was so hesitant to explain everything to you in the first place. I wanted so desperately to avoid bringing you into my problems."  
"I... I... I don't know what to say." I struggled to contain my urge to cry.  
Mads looked down into my glossy eyes and kissed me hard over my dark red lips; almost as if to silently say, 'You belong to me and I will always make everything alright.'.  
"You needn't say anything. You need only dry those beautiful green eyes and enjoy the rest of your night with me."  
I hate it when he's right.  
"Okay." I answered simply as we went to accompany Arnie at the bar.  
"So, what's so special about this place?" Arnie was expertly quick to change the subject.  
I giggled to Mads timidly. "Haha.. I haven't even the slightest clue where we are."  
Until that point, I hadn't given my surroundings a second look; I was far too pre-occupied with gaining answers to my questions. We were outside, at a far higher elevation than most other buildings throughout the city; which was impressive considering the surplus of outrageously tall buildings New York held. As I had stated before, the music was soothing and avidly infectious. The further around I looked, the more I noticed how discreet and elegant each moderate individual was.  
"Le Toit, I believe. I've actually never been here before, but I've heard good things and assumed it would be a fun place to try for the night."  
"Wait, wait... Did you say 'Le Toit'? As in THE Le Toit?" Arnie's eyes widened three sizes. "This is one of the most popular, A-listed clubs on the entire east coast. How in the hell did you manage get us in here?"  
Mads shrugged his shoulders and smiled just as the bartender came to make our drinks.  
"...Celebrities..." Arnie shook his head with laughter. "God only knows what to do with them."  
Chapter 27: "Eternity"  
I wasn't drunk; at least I didn't think that I was. But then again, at what point is one truly aware enough to justifiably judge one's measure of sobriety? No, I wasn't drunk, but I was definitely relaxed.  
We had called Arnie a cab before heading off in one of our own. Except, where we were headed remained a mystery to my newly buzzed mentality. There was no question that Mads was entirely sober and had a far higher alcohol tolerance than I; which made me question just how ridiculous my loopy behavior must have seemed. Yet, all that aside, I was glad that, even in my alcohol-induced state, Mads was there to take care of me.  
The kisses that traveled down my neck while Mads jimmied the key-card into the door brought me to a place that was pleasantly familiar. He was careful with the way that he handled my body. Each fragile touch grazed against the heat of my skin and enhanced my desire for his being.  
"God, I love you.... I love you. I love you. I love you." He repeated continuously. It was like he knew nothing more than the perfect innocence of those three little words.  
"I love you more." I giggled before playfully nipping at his ear.  
He pulled back and attentively raised his brow. "Now, you don't want to start something that you know I'll finish, Elise."  
Biting rapidly at his skin, my giddy self continued to tease him as I pulled on his dress collar and traced my way to the bed. His eyes traveled expertly down my cleavage as my chest rose with each quick breath.  
"Fuck, Elise..." He growled like a confined animal, on the brink of his containment, before abrasively attacking my breasts. "Let me have you!"  
"No!" I barked as I shoved his body down against the silky hotel bed. "It's my birthday... and I want to play first."  
Mads' eyes widened with a glorified wave of shock and excitement as he harshly clenched the comforter between his palms. I had never spoken to Mads, or anyone for that matter, with such amounts demanding authority. Lord only knew whether or not my compelling confidence was due result of the insane amount of alcohol that I had consumed that evening, but it offered me a significant power over Mads that I greatly enjoyed and, moreover, sought to explore more thoroughly.  
I gingerly slipped out of my dress, offering a discreet strip-tease with each subtle movement, as Mads' bulge intensified beyond the stitching of his pants. As my hips saucily swayed from side-to-side and I tip-toed toward him, he immediately matched my gestured rhythm with rough pelvic thrusts into the air. His body encountered a brief shuttering of agony just before he forced himself up toward me.  
"Uh-uh." I speedily knocked him back against the mattress. "You play my game, you abide by my rules. Now, stay down!"  
I jumped on top of him and straddled his strong arms over his head. "Don't move unless I say otherwise."  
"B-but Elise-" he whined.  
"DO NOT MOVE." I ordered sternly as I widened my legs over his torso and rested my knees against the surface of the bed.  
My hands crept back behind me and stopped just as they had felt Mads' throbbing erection. I brushed my fingertips along his shaft with soft strides until I found the tip. With one finger, I began to massage it... gradually adding considerable pressure after each groan.  
Mads' hands quaked, aching to touch my body. "God damn it, Elise! Stop torturing me! Please!"  
I removed my finger and deviously crawled backward with a naughty smile across my face. Once my view was level to his lower-half, I warily un-clasped his belt-buckle and tugged both his pants and boxer-briefs down around his ankles. His bulky shaft stood straight up, continuing to pulse, as I sedulously wrapped my velvety lips around the entirety of his plush manhood.  
"AHHHH!" He squirmed while I skillfully proceeded to adjust my mouth and tongue all about his member.  
I continued to nod my head back-and-forth with his violently active thrusts as they grew more and more intense. Just as I felt him on the edge, I pulled away only to hear him snap back at me.  
"Jesus Christ! What type of sadistic, fucked-up game are you playing with me?"  
"Shhhhh!" I scolded him as I crawled back on top of his body and positioned myself just above his pelvic muscle, continuing to tease him with the feel of my lacy panties. "Don't speak unless spoken to."  
"Please, Elise!" He begged me. "Just let me touch you, that's all I ask!"  
I leant my body forward and wrapped my hands around his sweaty palms, ever-so lightly grazing the dead-center of my brassier along the tip of nose. "Now, why should I allow you that privilege?"  
"Mmmmm..." Mads groaned, enjoying my scent. "Because, if you do, I swear to God I'll make you come harder than you ever have before."  
I slipped my tongue across his lower lip, enjoying the mixed tastes of his beers and my martinis that were stained against our mouths. As I rose my backside into the air, I yanked Mads' yearning hands and smacked them hard against my ass.  
He obediently remained still, nervously quivering from the struggle, until I whispered back into his ear two simple words that caused his will-power to inevitably erupt... "Prove it."  
His crazed state brought forth an unnatural extension of superhuman strength as he rose and threw my body against the mattress; finally taking back the control that had forever been so rightfully his. In mere seconds, he removed the remainder of his clothing and took an instantaneous attack at my bra and panties. Once nude, he quickly spread my legs as wide as they could possibly expand and then paused...  
The same naughty smile that I had previously on my face, was now plastered across his own. "Payback time, baby doll."  
Oh fuck...  
Mads buried his face in between my legs and slicked his tongue more deeply inside of me than I could conceivably bear.  
"MADS!!!" I screamed to the top of my lungs as he hit my g-spot time and time again.  
My God, he's going to make me come in a matter of seconds!  
My hands grabbed chunks of his stringy hair as my thighs grew numb and my toes clenched closely together.  
"AH! D-don't s-stop..." I felt my body on the careful brink of an utterly mind-blowing orgasm.  
Completely disregarding my comments and shivering hips, Mads pulled back, allowing my body to suffer its consequence, in a twisted act of raged revenge. He lunged forward and took handfuls of my breasts... cautiously caressing each with his blessed, yet deceiving, mouth. In response, I snuck my hands playfully over his muscular shoulder blades and bare ass, clawing at the bits of his skin as he made me moan.  
Now finished with the entirety of my chest, Mads lifted my body and promptly adjusted it to his liking. After prying my thighs outward, he placed one hand above my clitoris and the other around his hardened cock. He crept his body near inches from mine and firmly kissed my lips with the sincerest of all passions, then proceeded to rub his manhood over the outer skin of my entrance.  
"I want you to fuck me, Mads! Fuck me, fuck me hard!" My insides tingled with excitement.  
"How hard?!" He demanded as he pushed his thumb against the sweet spot between my legs.  
"Ahh!" I abruptly whined. "I want you to fuck me until I'm beat-red and begging you for mercy!"  
He bit his fangs over his bottom lip and rapidly formed it into a dirty grin. Removing his hands, he rammed his his pelvis against my opening and deeply thrust all 9 inches inside of my body. Never before had I experienced him to the extent that I did in that moment.  
Do... Not... Stop...  
His exceedingly active thrusts were ongoing as I did not restrain from vigorously screaming aloud. He forced himself into me repeatedly, each stride ending more deeply than the last. The outside of our hips was visibly red, yet the intensifying burst of immeasurable pleasure left us at ease and numbed our bodies to the core.  
Mads' eyes thoroughly focused into mine as we could both sense the indescribable orgasm that neared. Just as I felt myself about to come, he flipped me over and set me on my hands and knees, teasing me once again with his skilled fingers.  
My legs trembled with pure desire and dissatisfaction. "Mads! Please, stop tormenting my body! It's driving me mad!"  
"Beg me." His tongue gently glided across my backside and along the remainder of my spine.  
My back arched with his sweet sensation. "Please, I can't stand this never-ending suffrage! I beg of you!! Just take me out of my misery!!!"  
Without a moment spared, he barged his manhood right back into me and continued to pound until I could no longer breathe. The Earth stood still as Mads' final thrust streamed his seed within me and made my body gush beyond my wildest dreams. I came so hard that I lost all physical control of my body and gasped for air as my limbs spasmed under Mads' seizing hips. For the first time in my life, I could not vocally speak aloud... nor could I feel anything other than the purity of our passionate love making.  
Mads took my face within his ravishing hands as he collapsed beside me and calmed my quivering lips with his luscious kiss. "I told you that I loved you more. Don't you dare question that again."  
Still incapable of speech, I nodded back to him.  
"Happy birthday, Elise... my love for all eternity."  
Chapter 28: "DeLuca's Classic Italian"  
We had spent the remainder of the evening participating in various rounds of intriguingly playful sex. Despite my controversial feelings toward Mads' beloved silk blindfold, he'd proceeded in using it on multiple occasions to deceive my wandering eyes while he explored every inch of my desperate body. That night, he made me feel things that no man ever had; things that I didn't think possible.  
After finally awaking past the hour of noon, we properly dressed ourselves and took a cab to retrieve the remainder of our luggage at my home. Slight casualties of "Hello" and "Goodbye" were the only words shared between myself and my father as I gathered my belongings and immediately left. Giving my hometown one last glance goodbye, we took Mads' jet back to L.A. and met Arnie, who had returned earlier that morning, at the studio trailers just after 7pm.  
"God, this jet lag has been nothing but fucking brutal to my appetite. Care to grab a bite before heading home for the evening?" Arnie wrapped one arm around Mads' shoulder and the other over mine.  
Mads looked to me as if he were awaiting my answer.  
I struggled to keep my tired eyes open as I laughed. "Just what did you have in mind, Arnie?"  
"There's an Italian place that Robinson and I have been to just a few minutes from here. The food is to die for! But be forewarned, I plan to consume at least one extra large pizza on my own."  
"I wouldn't put it past you." Mads jokingly patted Arnie's remarkably round stomach.  
*Bzrrrrr-ring... Bzrrrrr-ring... Bzrrrrr-ring...*  
Arnie's phone buzzed in his pocket to the well-known classic telephone jingle.  
He looked down at the caller ID and widened his eyes. "Shit."  
"Who is it?" Mads peeked over at the glow of the cellphone screen as it continued to ring. "Fuck.... Uh, you should take that. Just message me the directions and we'll meet you at the restaurant."  
Mads grabbed my hand and rushed out to the parking lot. The pace at which we sped to his car was equivalent to that of the incident and made me question just who exactly was calling Arnie.  
"What was that about?" I broke Mads' awkward state of silence as he stopped at the first street light.  
He pulled his phone out from his front jean pocket and quickly entered a 4-digit code before attempting to hand it to me. "Can you read off the directions to me?"  
"Sure. Are you going to completely disregard my question?" I glared at his face as I blindly took the phone from his grasp.  
"Elise, there's nothing to worry about. Arnie's ex-wife was on the line and I didn't want you, or I, to get caught within the crossfire. You know how easily flustered he becomes."  
Huh?  
"Arnie has an ex-wife?" My eyes narrowed with shock.  
He chuckled slightly. "Don't act so surprised. Strange as it may seem, Arnie was married once upon a time."  
"Oh." I looked down at Mads' phone, prepared to tap on Arnie's message notification, when I realized a familiar face in the background.  
"When did you take this?"  
"Take what?" He tried to peek over as he drove.  
"The picture set as your wallpaper..." I faced the screen toward him.  
"Oh." He blushed, having completely forgotten that he'd never allowed me the privilege of looking through his phone before. "Back in Denmark... the night we first made love... you fell asleep on my chest and looked as though you were finally at peace. I remember twisting my fingers within the soft curls of your dark-cherry hair and thinking to myself, 'If there is such a greater being as God, then He, himself, has sent me an angel... a token of my salvation to lead me in my understanding of life's greater purpose. He has blessed me with this beautiful, complex gift of wisdom that reaches far beyond my comprehension. And I promise that I will guard this angel with my life and love her eons beyond my soul's capacity, because she means more to me than anyone else in the entirety of this world.' In that moment, looking below at your soft expression as your eyelids rested like glistening rose petals and feeling your heart beat in synthesized harmony to my own, I knew that the only place you belonged in the world was right there, with me, in my arms. And while I watched you, as the hours passed and the sun began to rise, I needed something, anything, to keep that moment still forever. To make that moment a part of me. So, I took that picture."  
My eyes teared up into a light sea-green color like they always did whenever I was about to cry. My vision blurred as I stared down at the screen and then back to Mads. "I... I... I have no words."  
Once he saw the tears begin to stream down, he immediately pulled over next to the nearest slab of concrete and put the car in park.  
"Min engel, why are you crying?" He held my face within the warmth of his palms to try and sop away my tears, but he was unsuccessful.  
"I'm sorry, I- I don't mean to cry but- but I never knew that anyone could ever love me as much as you do. I never fathomed that a woman like me could even possibly end up with a man like you."  
"I love you." He kissed my lips harshly. "I love you Elise Desmond... and I'll never ever stop doing so."  
I saw his eyes grow glossy as he forced back his tears and continued to pave his lips over mine until the point that both of our eyes began to dry.  
I massaged my temple and sniffled while looking back at the now 5 new messages from Arnie on Mads' cellphone. "Shit, Arnie's wondering where we're at."  
Mads slipped one last kiss onto my damp cheek and pulled back out into traffic.  
"Message him back saying that we'll be right there... and we got lost because you're absolutely terrible at giving directions." He laughed.  
"Oh, please." I jokingly jabbed him with my elbow. "The directions say it's just around the corner."  
Mads made a left turn down the boulevard and parked near the backlot of the restaurant. The windows sparkled with various bright signs of the name DeLuca's Classic Italian.  
Once inside, Arnie's presence was apparent as he jumped up-and-down from his seat and waved his arms all about with his mouth half-full of meat lover's pizza.  
"Errr-ahrm-ahem!" Arnie forcefully choked down the bits of food he had left in his mouth. "What do ya know! They're alive! Shit, I'd thought the two of you had fallen off the face of the Earth."  
"Oh calm down, Arnie. We'd had a bit of trouble with the directions, nothing trivial." Mads scoffed as he pulled out my chair.  
"Whatever you say... By the way, you needn't worry about that call. I took care of it. She's just being a bitch, as per usual."  
I opened my mouth, about to apologize for the inconvenience of his ex-wife, but Mads shook his head and shot me a mental message not to further extend the subject.  
"Well," Arnie leaned back and wiggled a toothpick in between his gums. "I've nearly finished here, but feel free to have a go at whatever's left."  
Mads and I sarcastically snorted as we glared at the one thin cheese slice that was left on the table.  
"I think it's probably best if Elise and I order something separate for ourselves, but thank you, Arnie."  
"Ay, I do what I can." He playfully winked before getting up. "I think that I best get going home and leave you two lovebirds to enjoy the rest of your evening."  
"Lovebirds huh?" A familiar, silky voice spoke from behind me as Mads and Arnie suddenly jolted back with fright.  
Who the hell is behind me?  
I attentively turned to see a woman who repulsively scared me just as naturally as she had when we'd first been introduced.  
"Hello, Elise." Cecilie widened her atrociously maleficent smile. "I'm glad that I could make it in time for the party. I see you've met my ex-husband."  
Chapter 29: "BeLIEve Me"  
"Fucking hell, Cecilie! What part of 'Go home and leave us be.' didn't you fucking comprehend?!" Arnie snapped in a stirred rage, gaining startled stares from everyone in the restaurant.  
'Us?' I am so confused.  
Mads' arms were shaking uncontrollably, all of the color drained from his sweat-enhanced face, as he grabbed my forearm and leaped out for the door in a rush. Arnie and Cecilie weren't far behind as the two raced, one in front of the other, to catch up with Mads' quick stride toward the back patio.  
"God damn it, Mads!" I tore my arm away from his clammy grasp. "Would you stop yanking me from place-to-fucking-place like this? I'm not a damned rag doll!"  
"Elise, I'm sorry, but we need to go... now... there's no time to explain."  
"No! I'm tired of this back-and-forth, run-away-from-our-problems scheme; it's high time you start explaining things to me. What the hell is going on?"  
Cecilie laughed hysterically like a maniacal wench. "You haven't told her yet, have you darling?"  
Told me what?  
Mads yelled back at her in an steaming fury, his veins visibly rising against the surface of his whitened skin. "Leave her the fuck alone you twisted bitch!"  
Where the hell did that come from?!  
"Now, now min kærlighed... Is that any way to speak to the mother of your un-born child?" She stroked the entirety of her lower abdomin.  
UN-BORN CHILD!?!?!?!?!?!  
"Hold k'ft! Are you fucking mental?!! For the last God-damned time, I am NOT the father of your child, you delusional kusse!"  
"Fuck, Cecilie!" Arnie threw his arms in the air. "We've already been over this whole fucking thing when you published that article nearly three weeks ago. Stop enforcing these outrageous fabrications!"  
Article?!  
My arms were crossed over one another as I grimly scowled at Mads. "What article?"  
"Elise, it's nothing! She's a fucking lunatic! Come on... Let's leave.."  
"Ah! Here it is!" Cecilie fumbled through the crap in her oversized Coach purse. "Here you are, Elise, I saved a copy for your convenience. Honestly, I didn't want front page, but the editor at The Times simply insisted!"  
"DENMARK'S BABY ON BOARD" she flaunted the bold title right before my face as I snatched the paper from her hand and continued to read on.  
My eyes scanned persistently across the cover...  
"Danish lovebirds, Mads Mikkelsen and Cecilie Olsen, publicly announced their romantic relations in Denmark last Sunday evening at Queen Margrethe II's 73rd birthday celebration. Apparently, the two close friends shared a far greater connection that saw past their previous history and developed into their unsurpassable love for one another. As if this blessed communion weren't enough of a God-send, their destiny manifested itself into their own beautiful gift of life. That's right, Denmark's hottest couple have a new baby on board! Cecilie, our expecting mother-to-be, gave us the inside scoop: 'Mads and I are absolutely delighted to announce the pregnancy! I'm about 6 weeks along now, and we're keeping our fingers crossed for a gorgeous baby boy. We cannot wait for the world to meet our little bundle of joy!'..."  
I forced myself to stop reading before the tears began to burst from my terrified eyes. A special form of nausea crept in the pit of my stomach as I gained full comprehension of each disgusting word. "Y.. Y-you got her pregnant? And it's on the cover of The New York fucking Times?!"  
I'm going to vomit..  
"Elise, none of that is true! You have to believe me!" Mads shouted in a panic.  
"Believe you?!" My voice shook with emotion. "Are you certain that tobacco is the only thing that you've been smoking? The story is right here, Mads... Neatly printed in black-and-white. And you fucking hid this from me, didn't you?"  
"... Elise, I had to-"  
"OH MY FUCKING GOD! You did hide it from me!"  
Arnie spoke-up in Mads' defense. "Elise, he was only trying to protect you."  
"Protect me?!"  
Oh, this is rich.  
"What the fuck is wrong with you people?! You know, I'm not completely sure what's more sickening... The fact that Mads fucked around with Cecilie and got her pregnant, or that you're actually okay with it?!! You're all a bunch of fucking lunatics!!"  
"It's not what you think... The article was all one giant lie from my crazy bitch of an ex-wife! Mads didn't do anything wrong, he told me so."  
"Eh, the article is questionable at best.." Cecilie chuckled sarcastically. "But, I'm certain that Mads hasn't told either of you about our recent little encounter."  
Mads' irises swelled into a deep blood-red. "I swear to God, Cecilie, I'll-"  
"You'll what? Cover up the situation with another bucket of lies? They have a right to know what went on between us."  
"Mads..." Arnie confusedly shook his head with pure denial. "Tell me it isn't true... The two of you... You didn't.... again...???"  
AGAIN?!?  
"Arnie, I-I'm so sorry... I didn't mean for it to-"  
"YOU FUCKING BASTARD!" Arnie leaped straight into the air and landed directly on top of Mads, attempting to strangle him with his bare hands.  
"Arnie stop! Get off of him! Calm the hell down!" I used what adrenalized strength I had left in my dizzy body to lift him back and away from Mads.  
Why am I helping this two-faced piece of shit?  
"Now, the two of you need to act like the civilized men you are, end this lying bullshit, and explain what fucking happened."  
"Ha!" Arnie barked out, using every bit of control he had not to get into a bloody fist-fight with Mads. "I'm not sure exactly 'WHAT FUCKING HAPPENED'. With Mads, there's obviously been quite a few fuckings that have happened. But, I can make a rather educated guess that the specific 'fucking' that 'happened' between Mads and Cecilie, occurred only a few days after he met you. Isn't that right, Mads?"  
Oh my God...  
My eyes flushed further into that sea-green color each second that Mads hesitated to answer.  
"Arnie... It-it wasn't like that-"  
"IS. THAT. RIGHT. MADS.?!" His eye began to twitch, black with anger, as he deepened his tone and demanded a response.  
"My God... Hvad har jeg gjort..." Mads let out a large flow of air and tightly squeezed his eyes shut before answering. "Yes. Yes, that is right, Arnie."  
I..... I...... I...... I can't b-breathe......  
Arnie's mouth pried itself open, gaping in amazement. "Wow... You're a fucking disgrace, you know that? After all that we've been through in the past year... After you directly stabbed me in the fucking back, I still offered you my friendship. And this... this is how you repay me? This is how you honor that regained trust? Do you even comprehend just how much that ruined me the first time around? My best friend, the one man I relied on most, cheats on his own damn wife just to sleep with mine. And then you came at me with a bunch of heartfelt words like, 'It was just a stupid mistake... It meant nothing... I never meant to betray you like that.' and I-I was mindless enough to actually fucking believe you! I locked away every bit of pain, anger, and sadness that you had caused me and gave you another chance to prove yourself, a chance to rebuild our friendship, with the production of this film. And you see, I thought that that was the end of the game, I thought that your apologies held meaning and you learned your lesson. But no, oh no, you skip right along like Alex-fucking-Trebek and go right on into double jeopardy; in which case you choose to not only fuck me over again, but you choose to fuck over Elise, an innocent twenty-one year old film student for Christ's sake, as well. Fuckin' hell, I even lied to her for you... covering all of your damn tracks from the past and making her think that your wife is heartless bitch whose out to make your life a living hell. When really, it's quite the opposite!... YOU tore apart YOUR OWN marriage when you decided to fuck my wife! But, we couldn't have dear ol' Elise know truth, now could we? No, 'Elise is the one,' you said. 'You can't let her know about Cecilie.' you insisted. So, being the stellar best friend that I was, after you swore to me that Cecilie's newspaper incident was a preposterous lie, I flew all the way to New York and vouched for you on your behalf. And this, Mads... this is what I get from you in return. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice.... then, I guess the fault truly is mine."  
Mads let a single tear fall down the crevice of his cheekbone as he stared at me with genuine regret and despair. "Elise.. I love y-"  
"Don't." The water from my eyes tore through what was left of my mascara and slipped from my cheeks to my chest. "Don't you dare tell me that... You have no right."  
I brought my blurry-eyed gaze over to Cecilie, who was quietly enjoying the show like the sick sociopath that she was. "Well Cecilie, pregnant or not, I hope that the two of you are happy together, I honestly do. And here..." I reached into my back pocket and pulled out the black blindfold Mads had finally given to me as a gift.. a 'reminder of his love and the endless adventures that it brought'.. in the car before arriving at the restaurant. "Maybe this belonged to you at one point, maybe it didn't, who the fuck knows... But, I can't keep something that was never mine to begin with."  
"El-Elise, please. I never meant to hurt you, I swear." His voice cracked, his tears then streaming to the pulse of his legitimate sorrow.  
"Wish I could remember where I've heard that one before." Arnie wrapped his arm around my numb body and lead me toward his car. "Come on, Elise. I'll take you home. I think we've all had enough lies for one evening."  
Chapter 30: "Well-being"  
Confusion. Confusion overtook the gist of what I felt. Confusion blinded the hate, the love, the sadness, the jealously, the despair, and the betrayal that had carved my brokenness. Confusion left me in a state of emotionless neutrality that overreached the boundaries of my faith and understanding. Confusion forced upon me a physical and psychological illness that questioned my morals and caved my initial being. Confusion enslaved me; I was confused with my own confusion... and that scared me beyond all words of inconceivable expression.  
Most of my clothing and the remainder of my luggage from our trips was still in Mads' possession, but I hadn't cared in the least. Despite his never-ending attempts to contact me, I cut all forms of communication necessary to keep my distance from Mads and the rest of society. I locked myself within my apartment and had food delivered to my door so I'd never have to step out. My cellphone was turned off and buried away from my sight in the deep pit of my drawer; I even brought myself to the measure of snapping my SIM card in half to keep anyone from tracking my whereabouts.  
Depression could not even remotely describe the state of worthlessness I was in. The way he used me. How easily he discarded my feelings. I was simply a pawn in his twisted little love game. I was a useless surrogate he could keep under his command and fuck whenever he pleased. He knew what buttons to press and he knew exactly when to press them. I was wrapped in endless loops around his finger and was willing to give the entirety of my soul to him. I believed him when he whispered sweet nothings in my ear late at night and valued the truth behind the three simple words that never ceased to make my knees weak and increase my desire for his being. I was a fool, a fool for allowing him to convince me that we were in love... allowing him to convince me that I was his salvation... his angel.  
I cried. I cried for days and didn't speak a word. The only place in the world I'd wanted to be at the moment was back home, with my family. Despite what had previously occurred between my father and I, they were the only thing that made sense in my sea of confusion. Only their voices could console me... fill the pitted black hole that was my emptiness.  
I coughed aloud, carrying complete distress in my throat, as I finally spoke through the pay-phone just outside my apartment. "Mom, does that plane offer still stand?"  
"Offer? Elise, what are you talking about? You know that your father and I have been worried sick about your well-being ever since you rushed out of the house that day?"  
"I know Mom. I know." My voice shook as I struggled not to burst into tears for the millionth time.  
"Elise?" My mother recognized my echoed pain. "Elise, what's going on? Are you alright?"  
"No, Mom, I'm not. I'm light years away from being alright! I'm falling apart." The emotion spilled out of my yearning mouth and my tears fell once more.  
"Oh, sweetheart... What is it you need? Anything, just say the word."  
"I.. I need to come home, Mom. Please say I can come home. I- I'm all alone, Mom, and I just need to be anywhere but here right now."  
"Elise, you can always come home. Pack your bags and we'll purchase a one-way ticket for the soonest flight out from LAX. Whatever it is honey, whatever's going on, we'll fix it... I promise."  
My face burned as I squeezed my soggy eyes shut, knowing that what had truly occurred could never be fixed. "Thank you. Thank you so much."  
"I'll see you soon, sweetheart. I love you."  
"I love you too, Mom." I sniffled and inhaled deeply before disconnecting the line.  
********************  
"Flight 686: to New York, please prepare for boarding." The stewardess' silky voice spread throughout the airport as I dragged my broken suitcase with the loose wheel across the rough flooring.  
"Excuse me, Miss." A thin man in an expensive Italian-made suit tapped me on the shoulder.  
I turned curiously, wondering what this man could possibly want with me. "Yes?"  
"Pardon me if I'm mistaken, but are you Ms. Elise Desmond?"  
Woah.. How the fuck did you get my name?  
"Uh, yeah. Can I help you?"  
He smiled. "I certainly hope that you can. It'd make my job a hell of a lot easier."  
Your job?  
"Please, forgive me for not yet formally introducing myself. I am Cornelius Farley, personal assistant to Mads Mikkelsen."  
"Oh fuck!" I rudely blurted out my uncensored thoughts. "Listen, I'm really not willing to hear any more of his meaningless apologies. So please spare me, I have a plane to catch."  
"Yeah, he said you'd probably react resentfully once I told you who I was."  
That bastard.  
"Well, he was right. And I still want nothing to do with him or whatever bullshit he's trying to pull. So, if you'd please step aside." I gestured for him to move, but his feet remained firmly planted in front of mine.  
"I'm sorry Ms. Desmond, I'm afraid I can't."  
God damn this persistent little fuck.  
"Look..." I breathed heavily. "I respect that you're just trying to do your job and I'm usually not one to 'shoot the messenger', but if you don't get the fuck out of my way I'm going to pepper spray your eyes out until either your pupils turn white and implode or the can empties. I mean, whichever happens first, I honestly don't care."  
Cornelius' complexion turned whiter than the Pillsbury Doughboy as he gained full comprehension of just how serious I was.  
"Alright, I understand. But, if I could please return to you the remainder of your belongings?" He pulled from behind him the usable suitcase that I'd left with Mads from our last trip to New York.  
I shook my head and lowered it toward the ground. "Yeah, whatever. And excuse me for asking, but how in the hell did you even find me here?"  
"Well, Mr. Mikkelsen could not get ahold of you, and he wanted to make sure you were, in fact, alright. He knew that if he got anywhere near you, he'd probably lose a limb."  
"Damn right, he would."  
"Anyway, he asked me to keep an eye on you for the past few days."  
I swiftly furrowed my eyebrows. "So you've been stalking me? You know, they have laws for that kind of shit; Do I seriously need to issue a restraining order against you people?"  
"Ms. Desmond, I haven't been stalking you. I've simply done what I've been told to and, in this case, it is only result of Mr. Mikkelsen's concern for your well-being."  
Christ! What is with everyone and this 'concern for your well-being' shit?  
The overhead speaker blurted out, yet again. "Last call for Flight 686: to New York. We are preparing for take-off. Again, Flight 686, last call."  
"Well, Mr. Farley, that's my flight. Are you going to be following me onto the plane as well?"  
"No." He shook his head. "You're free to go as you please. But, for whatever it may be worth, in the seventeen years I've worked for Mr. Mikkelsen, I have never seen him in the amount of hellish distress that he's causing himself currently. Ms. Desmond, while I may not know you personally or have any remote understanding of what occurred between you and Mr. Mikkelsen, I do know that he is a good man... not a perfect one, but a good one... and he's seen his fair share of hard times. Despite your differences, I know that what may appear to you as one thing, could most certainly be another; There's far more to Mr. Mikkelsen's life than I'm sure he's allowed you the privilege of discovering quite yet. He's a humble man and he puts the best-interests of others before his own. Again Ms. Desmond, I realize that it is not my place to lean in my reasoning or speak on his behalf, but he has never expressed such a concentrated love and care to any human being like he has toward you; I hope that you can respect that concern."  
Without another word, Cornelius waved me off as I watched him leave through the propelling doors that lead back out into the street.  
"Miss?.... Miss?.... Will you be boarding?" The stewardess brought my attention back to the boarding area.  
"Uh, yes. Sorry about that." I handed her my ticket and dragged both luggage bags through the hallway portal and onto the luggage cart.  
"Flight 686: to New York, now prepared for flight."  
Chapter 31: "Memory Lane"  
"Was your flight pleasant?" My mother cautiously stuck to her casualties as she handed me a warm cup of peppermint tea.  
I took a large sip and waited for her to make herself comfortable in the seat across from me. "Yeah, It was altogether painless... as opposed to other things. Thank you again for flying me back here at the drop of a hat, Mom. I really appreciate it."  
"Oh Honey, I'd pay for you to fly home every day if it meant that your father and I could see you more often."  
"Yeah.." My eyes gazed off to the side as I continued to speak. "I know I sort of up-and-left right after high school. I wanted so badly to run off and scurry as far away from the East coast as humanly possible; I never stopped to think about how it would affect you or Dad. I'm sorry for that."  
My mother giggled. "Elise, I never blamed you for a moment. You'd been sheltered here your whole life and had never been granted the privilege of exploring what the rest of the world had to offer until that point. When you first received that scholarship offer from USC, I knew that there wasn't even a remote possibility of your staying here. I knew that, despite my wishes for you to continue on closer to home and study law at Yale, you'd inevitably follow your own dreams as a film student in California. At times, yes, I do wish that I could see you more often; but, I also respect that you are an adult and need space to create a new life of your own."  
I skewed my head, carrying confusion in my voice. "I had always thought you were disappointed with my choice to leave?"  
"Please, I could never be disappointed with you, Elise."  
We shared a long, genuine moment of respected silence as we smiled in reassurance of our strengthened Mother-Daughter bond.  
"So, are we going to spend the rest of the evening taking exhilarating trips down memory lane, or are you going to tell me what went on between you and Mads?"  
"Wha- how did you know that something went on between us?"  
She momentarily brought her gaze toward the stairs and lowered her voice to assure that she would not wake my father. "Darling, when you called, I immediately recognized the pain in your voice and the sheer disappointment that it brought along with it. I knew of it because I, too, held the same emotion when....... when I had first found out that your father had cheated on me."  
I bit down onto my lips as harshly as I could to keep myself from crying, but the pain managed to seep through.  
"Elise...." She paused. "Did Mads cheat on you?"  
The tears instantly ran down from my cheeks and dripped just below me, into my empty teacup. I was in such a deep amount of distress that it literally paralyzed my capability to speak aloud. Therefore, tears were all that I could manage to physically express my answer.  
"My baby..." My mother knelt down beside me and took me into her arms.  
Yet, even while being held in the warmth of her body, I couldn't keep myself from crying profusely.  
"Shhhhh... Shhhh.." She forced my head into her chest and caressed it; she continued to repeat herself until my obnoxious cries lessened into small whimpers. "Shhhh... Elise, calm down darling."  
No...  
'...Please tell me, what's the matter?'  
No...  
STOP!  
STOP!!  
STOP!!!  
The memory seared through my aching chest and made me gasp for air as it poisoned me with the blackness of its sinful, heart-wrenching cruelty.  
"STOP!" I pushed her away and ran out of the room as I continued to scream. "Please! Please! Just make it stop!!!"  
"Elise!" My mother shouted after me, completely unaware of her uncanny likeness to him.  
Just as I began to run up the stairs, my father ran down in his pajamas. "What's going on?!"  
Without word, I buried my face into his chest and vigorously struggled to breathe while I sobbed away.  
"Elise...? Elise...?" He looked down at my mother who was just as confused as he. "Judi, what happened?"  
"I'm not sure. I think I said something that set her off." She shrugged.  
"Okay, okay... I think that's enough chit-chat for the evening." He patted me on the back and brought me back downstairs toward the guest room. "Come on, let's get you to bed. We can discuss this more in the morning. You need to rest."  
I nodded softly and followed him and my mother into the room. They both helped me to catch my breath and decrease my sobs as they kissed my forehead and tucked me in.  
"Goodnight, sweetheart. We love you. Don't be afraid to come up and wake us if you need anything." Mom added before shutting the door behind her.  
Goodnight.  
'Goodnight Elise... Dream sweetly...'  
Chapter 32: "Subtle Scents"  
The previous evening was enough of a demented mess to drive me off the edge of my sanity, and it succeeded in forming itself into an immense migraine the next morning. Some conscious form of my mentality half-expected to be awakened by the delightful scent of freshly cooked eggs and baked croissants, but I was instead gifted with the strong aroma of my father's coffee and my mother's enthused, not-so-standardized cooking.  
I hopped into the shower to try and rid myself of my aching head and consistent flashbacks, although the hot water only seemed to partially numb one of the two factors. After throwing on some clothes from my broken suitcase and tucking my wet hair back into a bun, I followed my parents' voices into the dining room where they were politely awaiting my arrival.  
"Good morning, Elise." My father looked up at me.  
"Did you sleep well?" My mother added directly after, triggering yet another flashback.  
I swear, it's like they're doing this on purpose. Keep calm, Elise... you'll be fine.  
"Yeah, yeah I did. I had a bit of a headache earlier, but I'm better now... Don't worry."  
They remained silent, simply nodding their heads and distributing food onto their plates. My mother was courteous enough to make pancakes; they were burnt, but they were still pancakes nonetheless and the effort didn't go unnoticed.  
After an endless five minutes of not so much as a single cough from either of them, I broke their silence. "You don't have to avoid the subject, you know. He cheated and lied to me about it... end of story."  
"I don't think it is..." Dad muttered.  
"Oh?" I widened my eyes sarcastically. "Because you know in detail exactly what happened?"  
He has the serious gall to instigate these issues?  
"I'm sure I know quite a hell of a lot more than that asshole's allowed you indecency of knowing."  
Mom interjected in a flash. "Phil, now's not the time."  
What?!  
"No... No, I think that now is exactly when we should discuss this." My voice carried more and more curiosity. "Please, Dad, enlighten me about what you know."  
He shook his head and shoved a mouthful of pancakes down his throat. "Just forget that I'd said anything."  
"No! You did say something and I want you to finish your thought."  
"Oh really? Now you want me to finish my thought? I tried, Elise! I tried right before you walked out the front door on your birthday... you had ceased to listen."  
My birthday?  
"What does my birthday have to do with any of this?"  
"Phil, stop! I don't want to deal with this mess again." My mother smacked her hands against the table.  
"I read the newspaper article, Elise. That bastard got another woman pregnant."  
What?  
"Wait, wait, wait.... you're telling me you knew about this? You knew about this and you didn't directly bring it to me?"  
Disregarding my presence altogether, my mother threw her hands into the air, nearly flipping over her silverware in the process. "Well, you're certainly one to talk, Phil."  
"What the fuck is that supposed to mean, Judi?!" He mimicked her behavior.  
"IT MEANS YOU FUCKING IMPREGNATED YOUR MISTRESS. That's what it fucking means."  
He got her pregnant?!  
"Christ, how many times do I have to tell you?! That was her own damned choice to abort the baby, not mine."  
ABORT THE BABY?!!  
"Exactly!" She exclaimed with her infamously dry sarcasm. "Because if she had kept the baby, your ass sure as hell wouldn't be here now... with your original family, now would it?"  
Oh my God!  
"You promised me, Judi. You promised you weren't going to put Elise through this."  
"Ha! And would ya look at her now?! She fell in love with a two-timing waste-of-space like you and was ultimately crushed in the end; just like you crushed me."  
"Elise..." My father released a sorrowful regret from his eyes as he reached out for my hand. "I'm so sorry..I-"  
Are you fucking kidding me?!  
"No!!" My hands escaped in a flash from his kind reach. "I'm done with 'sorrys'; everyone's mobbed me into pure insanity with their useless, fucking 'sorrys'. I don't even know who or what to believe anymore! Not only did you lie to me about the article, and in result watch me break into a million pieces on my own, but you, too, got the woman you slept with pregnant and failed to ever mention it to me."  
"And you, Mom..." I faced her, carrying despair in my voice. " You knew about this all along and didn't once bring it to my attention. No, instead you made some sort of pact with Dad never to speak of it. And I wonder, Mom, I wonder just how many instances that thought crossed your mind. I wonder how many years you hid behind your plastered, motherly smile and watched me grow into the doe-eyed idiot that I am now. I wonder how you looked blankly into the face of the innocent young girl I was and maliciously hid the fact that the man who cheated on you impregnated a complete stranger. And you know, granted I didn't know this 'woman' personally, she was still the bearer of my unborn half-sibling... the situation didn't just involve you and Dad, it involved me as well. Honestly, I don't even know where to turn anymore... I haven't the slightest clue! Because the one place I believed that I was forever welcome, the one place I called home, ended up being a decaying hellhole of lies and betrayal."  
I hurried to grab my things and leave as they avidly slurred their speech like Porky Pig on Phencyclidine; they hadn't a coherent explanation for their actions. Once far enough down the block to call for a cab, I whistled out and escaped as far away from that house as I possibly could... ending up at my favorite coffee shop in the city. "Mon Café Bien-aimée", the one familiar place that never brought me hardship or loss, only fond memories of endless joy.  
My nose was blessed with the intriguing scent of icy caramel macchiatos and warm herbal teas... scrumptious white-chocolate-mocha cappuccinos and soothing vanilla lattes. Sweet scents that brought memories of solitude and late-night study sessions... friendly gatherings and poetry nights... the simple flow of a pen to paper as my imagination could genuinely be unleashed. Scents that brought memories of the purity in life... the subtlety... the undeniable honesty.  
"What can I get you, miss?" The teenage barista at the front counter asked a tad too enthusiastically.  
She must be new.  
"An iced blackberry tea, sweetened, and a banana-nut muffin as well please... my breakfast was cut a bit short this morning."  
"I'm on it!" She gestured out toward the packed crowd of customers, listening in on the morning's reading by a local author. "Please, have a seat and we'll bring it out to you in a jiff!"  
A familiar set of voices and shadows caught my attention as I searched for an open seat.  
Who's that? Boy, they sure look friendly together; those sweethearts certainly aren't afraid of flaunting their PDA. It's funny, I could swear those two are....  
Wait.  
No... It couldn't be...  
"Annabella and Sam?"  
Chapter 33: "Sammy-wammy & Bella"  
Fuckin' hell... I don't know how many more of these 'secret relationships' I can take...  
Annabella smiled in preparation of a response while Sam kept silent. "Oh Elise, what a surprise! You're still in the city? I'd thought that you would've been back in L.A. by now."  
She persisted to move her eyes all about the café. "Where's Mads? Is he close by?"  
Great... I'm guessing she didn't get the memo either.  
"Umm no. He's, uhhh... he's.... No, no I came alone. But never mind that, how have you been? I didn't know that you were still in the city..." I brought my nervous gaze to Samuel. "Nor did I know that Sam was here also."  
"Oh, yes!" She exclaimed. "I had nearly forgotten that you two were working on Arnie and Mads' film together. It's funny actually, my little Sammy was just telling me about how the production's been postponed upon Arnie's request, but I'm sure Mads has already told you that."  
No, I've managed to dodge that important bit of information.  
"Anywho, Sammy-wammy has decided to spend the remainder of the month here, with me, until the end of my Vogue shoot. He just flew in yesterday! Oh darling, isn't he simply the sweetest?"  
Sammy-wammy?  
"Uhhhh... yeah." I forced a polite grin upon my face as I shot a stealthy glare in Sam's direction.  
This bastard's awfully quiet.  
"Hey Annabella, would you mind if I stole away Sammy-wammy for a just moment? I have a few questions about an individual film of my own and I figured he'd be the one to ask for a few pointers." The sarcasm in my faux tone of voice certainly pushed the envelope of my sincerity.  
She took a delicate sip of her cappuccino before standing up. "But of course, darling! Take all the time you need! I have to run to the ladies' room anyhow... So I'll leave the two of you to it."  
Samuel timidly gulped as she walked away and I took her place across the table. Beads of sweat glistened on his forehead as the florescent lighting elucidated his fear all the more.  
Ridding myself of all simplicity, I cut right to the chase. "Spill."  
"I... I'm afraid that I don't know what you're talking about." He shrugged, allowing the goosebumps to absorb his fevered skin.  
"Listen here Sam," I pushed away his drink. "I have heard so much fucking bullshit in the last week, that my ears are literally oozing with it... it's fucking ridiculous. So cut past the bullshit, grow a pair, and be fucking straight with me because I know that you're aware of the situation. It's pretty damn convenient that you just so happened to fly in the same exact day that I did; what has he put you up to? Has he sent you here to stalk me as well... to convince me to come back? Because if that's the case, you're wasting your time; it's not going to fucking happen."  
"Shit..." He exhaled heavily, bringing his cup back within his reach. "C'mon Elise, you know him well enough to know he'd never cheat on you."  
"Are you kidding me?! I haven't the slightest idea who the fuck he is! Everything that man told me, everything he claimed to feel for me, was a lie. Don't defend him for the crap he's put me through."  
"I'm not trying to, I'm simply saying that you should at least hear him out. He's been through a lot, Elise..."  
Right, and I haven't?  
I bit the inside of my right cheek and shook my head, staring off through the window at the pedestrians passing by. "Why, Sam? Why does he deserve a single wasted second of my time?"  
"Because every single second of his time revolves around you!" He hi-fived the corner of his forehead. "Lord, Elise, don't you get it? This man has been to fucking hell and back for you and you're so set on this single-minded track of yours that you don't even realize it."  
".... Just what is it you expect me to do, then?"  
He folded his hands into his lap and finally took the opportunity to inhale. "Listen. Elise, if nothing else, just listen."  
Annabella crept up from behind me and startled my body with an intensifying hug. "What'd I miss?"  
What didn't you miss...  
"Nothing substantial." Samuel answered as he scanned the watch that wrapped tightly around his thin wrist. "We should be on our way now, Bella. We don't want to be late for the 12:30 shoot."  
"Tsk... Tsk..." She folded her arms across her chest and kissed the top of my head. "These darn schedules make it impossible to have any fun at all. Do promise me that we'll catch up soon, darling."  
"Of course, of course." My expression brightened until I watched her walk out the café door.  
Samuel turned to me before following along in Annabella's footsteps. "Take care, Elise. And if you haven't already, you might want to take peep into your luggage."  
My luggage?  
The young-woman from the front counter slipped my tea and banana-nut muffin onto the table with another enthused smile. While somewhat annoyed with her persona, I found her innocence and vulnerability to be quite admirable. It reminded me much of myself... or at least the person I used to be... a person whom I wished I still was.  
"Is there anything else that I can get for you, m'am?"  
"No... No, I'll be alright. Thank you."  
Chapter 34: "Min Engel"  
Being that I was in a stressed hurry to leave my parents' house earlier that day, the only thing I had managed to take with me was my purse before subsequently splitting. And while in no way looking forward to returning for the remainder of my luggage, I indubitably had to know precisely what Sam was referring to.  
As the cab pulled up to the front the home, I noticed that both of my parents' cars were missing from the driveway and it was highly unlikely that they'd left the door unlocked.  
Damn.  
I quickly paid the fare and began to search high-and-low, all about the front porch, for a spare key.  
Welcome mat?........ no...  
Flower pot?.........no...  
Window pane?.......no...  
Behind the bench?.......no...  
Shit!  
Just as all hope was lost, as if by some sarcastic blessing from The Lord above, I twisted the knob for the sake of doing so and the door swung right open.  
"Hello?... Hello?..."  
Apparently, the two of them had become accustomed to leaving their house available for strangers to roam freely. Knowing the infamous reputation of my dearest New York, I was surprised to see their valuables still in place.  
Still cautious to not make noise in case of an intruder, I tiptoed across the hall to the guest room where I had last left my mess of things. I wandered in confusion to discover that the bed had been made and the sheets were properly pressed, assumedly by my mother, while my luggage remained in a neat stack next to the pastel-pink dresser, also my mother's doing.  
They must have anticipated my inevitable return for my belongings.  
Nervously knocking items in the room over as I went, I tossed the broken suitcase I had been using aside to reveal the one I had yet to open... the one Cornelius insisted on returning to me at the airport... the one last exposed to Mads' care. As I unzipped the large suitcase in a panic, something that was most-obviously Mads' doing was exposed. All of my personal items were politely folded and formed carefully into place, almost as if a being who suffered from chronic OCD re-organized it all to their liking. Located at the very center of it all was presumably the item to which Sam was referring back at the café, a cream-colored envelope labeled simply as 'Elise'.  
Each individual character glistened eloquently in response to the rich thickness of the dark ink used, and Mads' exemplary penmanship. A scarlet-tinted wax with the impression 'M.M.' sealed the envelope's backing tightly, which only added to its overall elegance. Yet, its visual beauty aside, I broke away at the seal to discover a rather lengthy hand-written letter that subtly hinted Mads' irrevocable scent.  
I allowed my eyelids to flutter to better my focus upon his words:  
"Min Kaereste Elise,  
While I appreciate that you may never come to read this letter, it is my sincerest desire that you might allow the insightful memories of our purest love to sway your voice of reason. You were right that evening when you claimed that it was high-time I start explaining things to you; and I understand that regardless of the situation's entirety, I have lied and wronged you beyond conceivable forgiveness. I can only trust that now- if not for me, then for your own peace of mind- you might lend away the understanding that I most knowingly do not deserve, to allow me to fulfill my end of that claim. So, if you can find within the Godliness of your righteous heart the merciful strength to listen, I vow that you will only read the legitimate truth in this recount of my events as they stand irrefutably etched in time.  
Two years ago, my wife and I began to have doubts in our marriage, which lead to various poor choices on my end. Although, among those inexcusable choices, one perceived itself more horrid than any one other; I disgracefully cheated on my wife with my best friend's spouse. One chilled Autumn's night, caught within the allure of my home-country and my own disgusting drunkenness, I slept with Cecilie. I slept with Arnie's wife in the same hotel of which I first slept with you, and for that fact I shall forever be ashamed. But please know, Elise... Please know that what we shared that evening in Denmark is in no way parallel to the immoral deed that occurred between Cecilie and I. The heavenly blessing that we shared serves in not even the slightest comparison to the unspeakable sin I committed with that woman. Elise, with you it was not emotionless sex, with you it was, and will forever remain to be, genuine love. With you it was not a drunken mistake, with you it was the one right I'd managed to endure in my lifetime. With you it was not saddened despair, with you it was inequitable passion. With you it was not spiteful regret, with you it was angelic purity. With you I finally found the identity of the confused man who'd haunted my heart, mind, and soul for so long. With you, min engel, I was set free.  
I knew at the first instance, when my eyes met yours, that I had to have you; I had to know the bliss of being able to love you, and I had to prove that I was deserving enough to do so. I knew already of the freedom you promised and that that freedom came with a price, a price to never hurt you... to defend you with every component of my being. Regardless of the challenges I knew I might face, it was a price I was ever-so willing to pay. It started off that way, Elise, with the intention that I might one day earn your love, but she could not find it within herself to allow it. In the strange sickness of her sociopathic mind, Cecilie threatened me in the most effective way she knew how... by involving the ones I love.  
Despite what initial appearances may have lead you to believe, Cecilie is not from Denmark; while she is of a partial Danish bloodline, she is a strict native of Sacramento, California. And, in opposition of a far more extreme perception, Arnie is not American, but is quite alternately just as Danish as I; he simply succeeds in burying his accent with snide remarks and crazed American-outbursts. You see, many years back- after Arnie's career had just begun to take flight- he'd needed a permanent residency within the states to pursue his dreams and further his becoming image. As more of an initial agreement than an act of romantic interest, Arnie and Cecilie participated in a 'Green Card' marriage for the purposeful sake of gaining United States residency for Arnie. Despite their differences, they maintained the illegal union for three years and grew to intimately care for one another; that is, until the point that Arnie gained discovery of the meaningless encounter between Cecilie and I. The two immediately filed for a divorce and did so, coincidentally, in the same span of time that my wife and I had. From that point on, her previous acts of kindness aside, Cecilie did not refrain from ultimately exposing her true character through her demented acts of manipulation.  
The week that you and I first met, Cecilie had expressed to me her desire to gain alimony from Arnie and met privately to discuss the matter. Although, because Arnie and Cecilie were only married for three years, by law, alimony could not be accounted for. In a sickly act of greed and defiance, she threatened to expose her illegal marriage with Arnie to the media if she were not given a considerable amount of money for her 'troubles'. In fear of my best friend's reputation and legal stance, I hadn't any other choice than to abide by her request. With the exception of a substantial exchange of money, nothing further occurred; that, I assure you. I lied in attempt to reduce the involvement of both you and Arnie, and to protect you both from any continued communication with her.  
Upon the evening that you and I made our first appearance together in Denmark, Cecilie, of course, established her own not-so-extravagant arrival. While unpleasant to fake my fondness of her, I could not leave your involvement to chance... nor could I face the possibility of putting your career at risk in coherence to her ways of deception. My actions aside, I swear to you that Cecilie's appearance was just as much of a disturbing shock to you as it was to myself.  
As what should have been already foreseen, once Cecilie grasped my apparent desire for you, she grew increasingly jealous and took action with a far-more superior publicity stunt than she ever had in the past. Cecilie decidedly exposed to the media the outrageous fabrication that she was pregnant with my unborn child... and she did so knowing that once you found out, you would become infuriated and react just as you had that evening at the restaurant. She did so knowing that no matter how false her claim, the conjoined chaos would ultimately cause me to lose you and jeopardize any chance that I'd have for a future with you. She did so knowing that whatever the outcome, she would remain the victor.  
I lied, Elise. I lied to you and hid away all forms of the truth. I treated you like a fool to protect your innocence and my efforts failed miserably. I haven't any explanation for my actions other than the fact that I did so out of love and concern for your well-being. I realize that what I have done to you can never be made right, nor can it conceivably breach your forgiveness. But please know, Elise, if anything, please know what it is that you meant to me. Please know just how much I admired and will forever treasure the brief time that we spent together. Please know that despite all I have done, I will never cease to yearn for your love. Please know that your angelic soul saved me from an eternity of suffering and in that moment gave to me every unknown happiness. Please know that there shall never be a moot point in which I am not thinking of you. Please know that whatever the future may bring you, wherever you might be in the world, I will spend every minute of every hour of every day for the rest of my life loving you unconditionally... irrevecobly... eternally.  
You are my happiness... my love... my life... my salvation... my soul... my Elise... min engel.  
-Mads"  
Chapter 35: "Fault"  
Three months had passed since I read that letter, and within those three months I had worked to make significant changes for the better in my life. I had learned that before I could move on into my future, I had to evaluate my past. I had to improve upon myself as a person and learn to pace myself steadily. I had to learn to understand, in complete variation, both myself and the ones I love. I had to learn to accept the contents of my life for what they were and move forward with an open mind. Moreover, I had to learn forgiveness.  
That letter left me with feelings that I could not possibly express through any singular emotion. Feelings of regret, sorrow, love, and shame haunted me for days. A wonderment of curiosity crept within the pit of my conscience until inevitably rooting itself within my heart. I had asked myself how I could possibly come to face him again... how I could ever manage to apologize for the constant pain and torment I put him through. How could I live on knowing that I caused him nothing but misfortune? I couldn't.  
I realized that no matter how much we yearned for each other, no matter how much I coveted the bliss of his porcelain kiss, I could no longer be a part of his life. I could not force him through a lifetime of hardship and unsettled misery. If I loved him, I had to prove that love by keeping my distance. If I truly loved him, I needed to grant him that one mercy.  
Cutting my connection to Mads meant cutting my connections to our mutual friends as well. So, after his graceful help in the ultimate production of my film final, Samuel left for Peru with Annabella and hadn't any communication with me from that point on. As for Arnie, I saw him one last time, as only to bid him adieu, before leaving the studio for good.  
In coherence to my transition, I forced myself into forgiving my father and mother for the detailed secrets they kept from me for so many years, and with that forgiveness came a far better, strengthened relationship than ever before. I began to include them in the more recent events of my life to make up for my more distant/ resentful years. I invited the both of them to my graduation ceremony and the not-so-privately private viewing of my film that would proceed the following month; A film that not only earned me an exemplary grade in my creative film class, but a year-long paid internship in London, England.  
The events of my past aside, I willingly kept the content of my focus moving onward toward a more promising future. A future that was absent of any unwanted regret or heartache. A future that was absent of him.  
That's how I'd wanted it, at least... A fresh start.  
I mean, that's what I had planned.  
But, of course, as previous instances may have already proven, nothing in my life goes according to plan.  
************************  
"Ladies and Gentlemen, before we conclude for the evening, please join me in congratulating our guest of honor, Ms. Elise Desmond, with one last round of applause." Mike guided the audience in their vigorously cheerful clapping as I sat, timidly, in the array of people. "Exemplary work, Elise!"  
I nodded at him in appreciation of his words.  
"Yes, yes, wonderful work. Thank you all once again for coming tonight, it was truly a treat to have you all take part in USC's final private film event of the season. Drive safely." The dean escorted Mike offstage as everyone scurried from their seats in the auditorium toward the dark parking-lot.  
My exhaustion from the day aside, I'd wanted to stay behind to spend a few moments to shake hands with administrators, professors, and peers. So, I kissed my proud parents farewell and waved as they drove back to their hotel just a few miles away from the campus.  
Just as I had finished greeting the last of my companions and headed toward my beat-down Volkswagen, a familiar shadow emerged from behind.  
"Hello, Elise." Mads candidly smiled with the sight of my confused face. "No need to converse with me if you'd prefer not to. I simply wanted to congratulate you on your film's immense success. It seems to have brought you far."  
I tried desperately not to mumble, but his beautiful stature and infectious accent brought me nearly to tears; I'd missed him so. "Th-th-thank y-you. I- you- uh... You came?"  
"I wouldn't miss it for the world."  
"But.." I paused briefly to catch my breath and comprehend his sincerity. "How did you-"  
"Samuel had told me about the masterpiece you created and I just knew that it would be an instant success. So, I did a bit of research- snooping, if you will- to find a way to see the excellence of your work with my own eyes. I soon found out about the private viewing to be held in your honor and once I called your dean and explained the situation at hand, he agreed to make an exception." He started to giggle nervously. "Although, that exception may or may not have been a detailed compromise to give him 2 court-side tickets to the next Laker's game."  
Mads' words brought forth a genuine laughter from the back of my throat... and ever-so slightly from the snort of my nose. "Wow, that seems to be a very detailed compromise, indeed. I hope, for the sake of your hassle, that this evening wasn't too much of a bore."  
"Never." His comical mood changed swiftly. "Life is never a bore with you, Elise."  
We remained silent, staring deeply into one another's eyes, until I blinked to release myself of his captivating spell.  
"Ah-erm." Mads cleared his throat. "Samuel had also told me that you read my letter."  
"Yeah.... I, um, I meant to apologize to you, for the way that I acted... all that I had put you through. I just.... uh.... I guess I just didn't know how."  
"Oh Elise," He squeezed his hazel eyes shut and shook his head, causing his loose locks to sway. "Do not apologize for the hell I put you through. What I did... how I treated you... it's unforgivable, Elise. I am the only one at fault."  
No, no you're not.

Chapter 36: "I Still Love You"  
"Mads, the chaos that we faced falls upon Cecilie's shoulders, not yours. You did what you thought best in the situation at hand; I can't hold you accountable for something that you had no control over." It took every bit of energy I had to keep my arms at my side and not immediately wrap them around his torso.  
"No Elise," he breathed. "I did what I promised I never would... I hurt you. I hurt you, min engel, and I can in no way justify the torturous amounts of pain I put you through. I hurt you and shamefully lost your trust... your respect... and ultimately, your love."  
"No..." I looked up into the glistening night sky, and then back to Mads. "No, you haven't."  
He furrowed his weary eyes confusedly, as if mentally asking me to clear my ambiguity.  
"You did hurt me, yes, and your actions have in some ways tainted my trust and respect for you. But no, you did not lose my love.... you may lose a lot of things in your lifetime, but never my love."  
I smiled reassuringly and formed my shaky hands into fists as I ached for the touch of his glowing skin.  
He makes this so hard.  
Mads brought his hand to my cheek and smoothly ran his thumb back-and-forth under my cheekbone, still fascinated with its structure.  
He smiled, repeating to me what he had so long ago. "You must think me insane, but I have truly never seen such a breathtakingly captivating young-woman such as yourself. So angelic. So delicate. So radiantly refined."  
Keeping his touch, he ran his fingers through the wind-blown strands of my hair and tucked them behind my ears, one-by-one.  
"I..." He leaned more closely as my eyes teared up. "I cannot even begin to describe to you how much I would like to taste your innocent lips."  
Don't do it, Elise...  
I put my face near centimeters away from his; I could feel of his quick breaths brushing across my bright red cheeks.  
Without a second spared, Mads mashed his soft lips against my own and kissed me more harshly than ever before. I could barely breathe as he forced his delectable tongue into my mouth and wrapped it lusciously around my own. My damp eyes streamed a surplus of tears while I struggled to find the strength to pull away.  
My God, I wanted him. I had wanted him so badly... more than anything or anyone else in the world. And that fact made what I was about to say all the more difficult.  
"Mmm.. Mads." I pulled away hesitantly as I whimpered aloud. "I... I... I'm so sorry."  
He skewed his head curiously and wiped the river of tears away from my face. "What is it, min engel?"  
This hurts so much.  
"I'm leaving for London tomorrow, Mads... I'm going to be gone for over a year."  
He stared at me blankly, as if he were unsure exactly how to react. "London? London, England?"  
"Yeah." I sniffled. "A few directors in Europe came across my film and offered me a paid, year-long internship. They said it could turn into something permanent if everything goes well."  
Mads lowered his head with despair. "Oh... I, uh, I see." He looked up to portray his faux expression of joy. "Well, congratulations. That is excellent news; I always knew you'd go far."  
My sobs grew more genuine as I squeezed my eyes tightly and wrapped myself in his arms. "I don't want to leave you... Not like this..."  
"Shhhh... Shhhh..." His warmth brought me comfort. "It's okay, Elise... You'll do great in London. Everything will be alright."  
"No! No, it's not alright. I love you, Mads. And no matter what I do, I just can't stop doing so."  
He scoffed sarcastically, "So you finally see my dilemma?"  
"Don't. Please, don't make a casual joke to try and veil the issue."  
"I'm sorry... I simply don't know what more to do." He pressed his lips together and his eyes began to dampen the longer he looked at me.  
Mads kept his arm around my waist as he used every inkling of strength not to cry in front of me.  
"Come... Have one last drink with me before you leave?" He attempted to add light to our conversation.  
I giggled slightly, now regulating my breaths. "You want to go to a bar?"  
"Haha... God no. I meant at my home."  
"Oh!" I felt a wave of relief. "Well then of course, I'd love to."  
"Perhaps we can have Danishes for desert." He joked with a playful wink.  
Yes, perhaps we can.

 

Chapter 37: "Never Forget"  
"I assume you still prefer the red, Elise?" Mads held both the red and white wines above his head while I sat patiently on the side of his white marbled counter top.  
"Always." I grinned with playful confidence.  
He filled the glasses three quarters of the way and escorted me, left hand around my waist, up the grand staircase.  
"You know something," he laughed swaying his glass with his other hand. "I don't believe I've ever allowed you a proper tour."  
"Honestly, you needn't feel obligated to-"  
"No, no..." He interrupted. "I insist. At least allow me to better familiarize you with the upper half of the house."  
I bit into the inner corner of my cheek and smiled before simply saying, "Alright."  
Without hesitation he succeeded in showing me the many various rooms that made up the glorious perfection that was his home. His media room, gothic library, interior garden, and personal study all left me in awe, yet the one room I had still wanted to explore more than any other remained to be his bedroom.  
"My goodness, I had never fully comprehended just how breathtaking your home is."  
"Thank you. Although, it is more a house than it is a home; far too large a house for one man to live in. It can become rather lonely from time to time."  
I was unsure how to approach his statement without raising a topic that would upset us both, so I attempted to dodge it completely as I placed both of our glasses onto the hallway table. "Tell me, Mads, how does our delightful tour end?"  
"Well, min engel, that depends upon three things:" He took delicate hold of my jaw and raised it towards his.  
"Your willingness..." He grazed his lips against my left cheek.  
Oh.  
"Your moral curiosity..." He whispered as he continued on to my right.  
My.  
"And your desire." My lips quivered as he deviously teased my mouth with his skillful, Danish tongue.  
God.  
"Mmmmm..." I breathed against his tasteful mouth as I felt my lower abdomen grow quickly excited against my will. "Please do continue with our tour, Mr. Mikkelsen."  
Mads kept hold of my waist with both hands, kissing my neck from behind, and showed me to the two tall doors that I'd fantasized about for so long.  
"Allow me." He stepped aside and grasped the two knobs.  
My knees grew abundantly weak and my mouth gaped open as he finally revealed to me the unfathomable perfection of his bedroom. My eyes darted all about as he held me close and lead me further inside.  
His bed was exquisite, the centerpiece of the room's entirety, and it was complimented with two grand mahogany night stands; the left held a neatly folded script and Mads' reading glasses while the right contained a bedside lamp and one of Lee Child's bestsellers. The right wing of the room glistened in white and gold trim where his glass shower and clawfoot tub lurked, while the left wing held a walk-in closet that could be justifiably deemed as a room of its own. In coherence to my original assumption, his subjective decor lingered significantly with traces of him.  
"Elise?" His kisses trailed between my shoulder blades.  
"Hmmm?" I managed through my soft moans.  
"Spend one last night with me... Allow me to love you just one more time."  
Mads held me tightly as I turned and showered him with kisses.  
His words shook me with a wave of pure emotion, and I struggled to contain my sadness. In that moment I knew... I knew that I would never again enjoy the bliss of making love to the one man who filled the gaping hole in my heart. I would never again create a magnificent bond as genuine as what we had shared. I would never again loose myself in a man who loved me beyond his soul's capacity... who loved me like I loved him, to the moon and back. I would never again see him... kiss him... love him... feel him.  
I looked to him with tear-filled eyes. "I love you so much... I want tonight to last forever."  
He pushed his forehead lightly against mine as his eyes began to match mine. "You are my forever."  
I gingerly tore at his clothes to keep myself from crying, and he did the same. Once we were both undressed, he laid me across the center of his bed and kissed each bit of my skin more slowly than ever before, leaving my head at rest upon his silky pillow.  
I inhaled slowly to the tender rhythm of his enchanting lips. In that moment, and every other moment that would follow, all I wanted in the world... all I wanted in life was him.  
After surly an hour of his stunning kisses, he leaned over my body and gradually let himself slide inside of me. I could hardly breathe as he slowly pumped himself in and out of my body, my mind was so overwhelmed with emotion, he felt immaculate... beyond compare. His speed was so steady, leisure, and precise; every second felt like a blessed eternity. The components of our lovemaking were just as spiritual as they were physical.  
At the profound moment that he finally came within me, my insides tingled and twitched in a sublime response. Our souls became a singular love one last time and I treasured every mere second of it.  
I savored the indescribable gift that he had bestowed upon me; I relished in the completion of his being... our being. My eyes sparkled with compassion as I gleamed whole-heartedly, one final time, into the illuminate face of the love of my life. And as I shifted my focus to none other than his sorrowful eyes, I felt every ounce of the unbearable pain... for it was a pain that exceeded all comparison. An excruciating pain that he was enduring over the knowledge of his inevitable loss of me... his salvation... his engel.  
Mads held my face within the hold of his kind hands and kissed me as our cheeks grew wet with heartache.  
I love you.  
Now.  
Forever.  
Always.  
"I love you, Elise.” He whimpered aloud. “ Please never forget how much."  
"Never."  
Chapter 38: "Porcelain Kiss"  
I awoke early that morning with Mads fast asleep at my side and his muscular arm draped over my nude body.  
If only I could live this way forever...  
Careful not to wake him, I leant over and reached for the new cellphone I'd bought a month earlier in the pit of my handbag. The screen glowed brightly, which cause my tired eyes to squint, with one new message notification from my mother.  
"Good morning Hun, hope you slept well and are ready for your big flight to London! Daddy and I were supposed to head back home earlier this morning, but we have decided to leave later on in the day so that we can see you off at the airport. Be sure to have your entire luggage with you and we'll see you in front of LAX at 10:00. Hugs and kisses! -Mom"  
10:00... great.  
I put my phone back into my purse and turned back over to face Mads, who was now wide awake.  
"God morgen, min smukke engel." He smiled as he engulfed my body closer to his and passionately kissed my lips. "Today is the day."  
I closed my eyes and inhaled deeply. "Yeah. It is."  
"What time does your flight leave?"  
"10:30... A.M."  
He reached his arm out toward his nightstand and grabbed his glasses and Rolex.  
"Hmmm... It looks like we only have two and a half hours until your departure."  
"Seems that way." I huffed. "And I still need to gather the remainder of my belongings."  
"You needn't worry about that." Mads took hold of my neck and kissed me yet again. "I'll have Cornelius take care of it all. Let's have some breakfast and then we'll drive to the airport."  
We lingered in bed, cuddling up with each other, for another twenty minutes before we both realized that we needed to get up and face the unwanted day that lied ahead. I followed Mads into the shower where we enjoyed a rather heated make out session... among other things... and then threw back on the little black dress I wore the night before. Once downstairs, we sat out on his back patio and began to devour some delectable Danishes in the heat of the newly risen sun.  
"How's the Danish?" He asked as he took a sip of his morning coffee.  
"Which one?" I giggled sarcastically.  
Mads' mouth formed itself into another beautiful grin and his canines peeked over the edge of his lower lip. "You know which one I'm referring to."  
"Well..." I looked off into the morning sky and acted as though I was in deep thought. "It has an interesting flavor to it. It plays with your tongue... like sex in your mouth."  
He shook his head and placed his hand onto his ribcage as he exposed a genuine line of laughter, much like the one he'd revealed back in Denmark when my mother had first spoken to him. I took pleasure in seeing him that way... playful, relaxed, and happy. Truly happy. I'd miss it. I mean, I knew that I'd miss a lot of the crazy quirks that made him seem all the more human, but his laughter... his laughter I'd miss the most.  
"Ahh," Mads caught his breath. "I'm really going to miss your sense of humor, Elise."  
He silently glanced down at his feet for a long moment with a strange neutral look of wonder in the corner of his eye, and for the first time, I hadn't the slightest clue what could possibly be running through his mind. He looked emotionless, like a man who has just been shot in the chest, but hasn't quite comprehended the fact that he is bleeding out and inevitably going to die. It was terrifying to see him in such a confused state and I was left unsure how to react.  
What if my absence leads to his own personal destruction?  
Or worse, my own?  
********************  
"Flight 92: one-way to London, please prepare for boarding."  
After our morning breakfast together, Mads expressed that he couldn't bear the thought of watching me board the plane that took me away from him; he couldn't allow that image to be the last memory we had of each other. So, with one last prolonged cry and final kiss goodbye, he sent me on my way with Cornelius to LAX.  
He made the right choice by parting with me like he did; in fact, I preferred it that way. It was much like ripping off a Band-Aid, quick and easy. Therefore, the pain isn't nearly as bad... Or at least that's what I'd thought at the time.  
"That's me." I turned to my parents and gave them each a hug goodbye. "I'll call you as soon as I get there."  
My mother pecked my cheek. "Please do... And be safe!"  
Once we had finished with our goodbyes, my parents waved and left through the propelling doors... leaving me alone with my thoughts.  
Just as I'd grabbed my carry-ons and began to make my way through the hallway portal, I heard someone shout my name in a frantic craze.  
"ELISE! ELISE! DON'T GO YET!" Mads ran to my side, completely out of breath.  
"Mads!? Wha- wait. What are you doing here?"  
What the hell is going on?  
He wrapped me in his arms and squeezed me tightly. "Elise, y-you can't leave. Not yet."  
What?  
"B-but Mads, I have-"  
"I know." He struggled to regulate his harsh breathing. "I know you need to leave, but I can't let you go without knowing."  
I looked up at him in a stirred confusion. "Knowing what?"  
"Knowing if you want to spend the rest of your life with me." He exhaled bluntly.  
Forever.  
"Well of course I do, but I-"  
He raised his right index finger to my lips and shushed me as his left hand fumbled within his pants pocket. "I realize that this all may seem a little crazy to you, but I can't live on knowing that I let the love of my life slip right through my fingers."  
Wait a second...  
"Mads, wh-what are you-"  
"Elise..." He pulled a small, velvety black box out from his pocket as he got down on one knee and locked his gaze onto my teary eyes. "You are the most beautiful, caring, intelligent woman in the entirety of this universe and, to me, you couldn't be more perfect. There is no one else in the world who I'd rather protect, love, cherish, and share the rest of my life with. I love you beyond conceivable compare, min engel, and I'm willing to do whatever it takes to prove that to you. I'm willing to follow you wherever you might you go because I cannot imagine a life that is absent of your love. I need you, Elise... now and forever."  
Both hands covered my mouth in shock as the tears leaked and my heart pounded in a beat beyond its capacity.  
"Will you, Elise Melanie Desmond, do me the undeniable honor of spending the rest of your life with me?" He flicked opened the tiny box and revealed a slim, silvery diamond ring. "My angel, will you marry me?"  
Oh my God!  
My overjoyed mentality struggled to comprehend the surrealism of the moment, but did not cease to answer as my heart, mind, and soul so desired. "Yes... Yes... A million times yes!"  
He jumped with excitement and swept me off of my feet as he twirled me around in circles and kissed every inch of my face.  
Never in my life had I felt more joy. Never in my life had I felt such completion.  
I was now his.  
"I love you." He stated again as he placed me back down and slowly slipped the ring onto my finger.  
"I love you too." I smiled from ear-to-ear, awaiting the tender touch of his eager lips.  
As he leaned in and masterfully kissed me, I was brought back to a very memorable place from a cold Spring night in Denmark. I was brought back to the beginnings of ours love... our happiness... our eternity.  
I felt my lower back quiver with pleasure as he continued to taste me slowly... passionately... effortlessly.  
He was a Danish Delight whose porcelain kiss traveled beyond my wildest dreams, and I savored the light accents of beer and tobacco on the tip of his tongue. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

THE END.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! Most of my other works can be located on Wattpad.com @MadsMikkelsen.


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